City of Denver is Paving Streets with Pot (Revenues)

Few things in Denver are as thrilling as annual budget announcements about street paving.

[A wee bit early for April Fools jokes - Ed.]

The 2018 street-paving announcement is notable for one thing: its source of funds.

“We are using $1.2 million in 2018 from our marijuana revenue to help increase the number of lane miles we’re going to pave in the City of Denver,” said Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said. “So, 450 lane miles throughout the City of Denver will be paved this summer primarily arterial and collectors.”

THE BIG DEAL:

This year's street paving extravaganza is going to be larger than usual, thanks to pot revenues:

"This is the first year that we’re receiving marijuana tax revenue for street paving and with it we are able to pave about 50 more blocks of streets so we are grateful for the extra resources this year that are going to go to improving some of our larger streets,” said Nancy Khun, Communications Director for Denver Public Works.

There are 11 districts on the list of repairs. In May, the paving program will focus on improving 85 blocks in Downtown Denver’s Business district. It’s an area the city says hasn’t been paved since 2003."

The Mayor of Denver was upbeat about the benefit of this new source of revenue, which is a bone of contention with his federal counterparts in Washington, DC:

“We always said we’ll use the {cannabis tax] revenue to enhance the quality of life for the people that live here, and I got to tell you, improving these road conditions is certainly a step in that direction,” Hancock said.

The City of Denver receives more tax revenues from cannabis sales than the entire state of Alaska. "

"We’re up to $13-14 million a year in marijuana tax revenue coming into the City of Denver and a lot of that goes towards supporting the regulatory framework and enforcement of our policies,” Mayor Hancock said. “What we have left over we have committed to the education of our children, so we do invest through the office of children’s affairs. [Additionally] Summer camps, education and campaigns about marijuana in the city of Denver, and thirdly, we take the rest of that and begin to deploy through our general fund of various one-time efforts.”

Image source: Denver CBS local