Broomfield Taxpayer Matters

Broomfield Considers Human Rights Ordinance and Commission

On July 29, the Broomfield Council will hold a study session on a possible Human Rights Ordinance. This is a follow up to the December 10, 2024 proposal by Broomfield Mayor Guyleen Castriotta proposed to prohibit discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations, covering protected classes such as ancestry, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender variance, and source of income. This ordinance aims to address gaps in state and federal protections and expedite complaint resolution, as state and federal agencies often face high complaint volumes.

Shouldn't this actually be called the "Specific Groups" Rights Ordinance and Commission? All humans do not fall into these categories.

Municipalities like Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, Aurora, Aspen, and Telluride have active human rights ordinances, but no specific discrimination cases from 2023–2025 were publicly reported in these jurisdictions. Statewide, the CCRD received 492 complaints in 2023 (mostly employment-related), and the EEOC handled 304 complaints in Colorado in 2024, but these reflect state and federal filings, not municipal ordinances.

Proposed Enforcement Models for Broomfield

Broomfield is considering enforcement mechanisms inspired by other Colorado municipalities:

• City Manager Model: Complaints handled by the city manager or a designated office, with mediation or municipal court prosecution (e.g., Boulder Office of Human Rights, Denver Office of Human Rights and Community Partnerships).
• Third-Party Hearing Officer: Staff’s recommended model, budgeted at $50,000 for the first year, where an external officer conducts hearings, with appeals to a commission or district court.
• Human Rights Commission: A commission oversees hearings, requiring more staff support (e.g., Aurora Human Relations Commission).
• Municipal Court/Business Licensing: Violations treated as code infractions, potentially impacting licenses (e.g., Fort Collins, Aspen).

Recent Colorado Anti-Discrimination Law Updates (2022–2025)

The Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Recent legislative changes have strengthened protections and enforcement:

• HB 22-1367 (2022): Extended the filing deadline for discrimination complaints with the Colorado Civil Rights Division (CCRD) from 180 to 300 days, expanded protections for domestic workers, and aligned age discrimination remedies (40+) with other classes, allowing punitive damages.
• SB 23-172: POWR Act (2023): Broadened workplace harassment definitions to include “unwelcome” conduct, restricted nondisclosure agreements limiting discussion of discriminatory practices, and mandated five-year recordkeeping for complaints.
• HB 24-1124 (2024): Consolidated damages under CADA, offering court orders, attorney fees, up to $50,000 in noneconomic damages, or a $5,000 statutory fine per violation, with reductions for small businesses correcting violations.
• HB 24-1451: CROWN Act Expansion (2024): Added hair length to race-based discrimination protections, covering hairstyles like braids, locs, and Afros.
• HB 24-1312: Kelly Loving Act (2025): Prohibits “deadnaming” or misgendering transgender individuals in workplaces and schools, expanding gender identity protections.
• SB 24-205: Algorithmic Discrimination (2026): Will prohibit AI-driven discrimination in hiring and other areas, requiring transparency and risk mitigation, effective February 2026.

These state laws, enforced by the CCRD and courts, complement federal laws like Title VII, the ADA, and the ADEA. However, local ordinances like Broomfield’s proposed one cover additional classes (e.g., source of income, custody of a minor), addressing gaps in state and federal protections.

Broomfield's proposed approach will require more government personnel

Broomfield’s staff seeks Council direction on adopting the proposed ordinance, selecting an enforcement model, and potentially establishing a Human Rights Commission. Budget impacts vary, with internal staffing estimated at $75,000–$125,000 annually for 50 complaints, compared to Boulder’s 2025 Human Rights Office budget of $114,134.

This Council has been really good and dividing our community into oppressor vs. oppressed classes, but what if we all just treat each other as human beings worthy of dignity and respect. If you walk up and ask someone for help, do they need to know anything about your private life? Or, if you want to rent an apartment from someone, do they to know anything else other than do you have the funds to rent an apartment and do you have a history of renting? How about we just get back to common sense and treating each other with respect.

Why does our city council want to assume the worst in us by creating all of these ordinances? After all, there is no evidence that landlords have abused the relationship.

Broomfield's Boards and Commissions

Speaking of Boards and Commissions...Here is a list of Broomfield's current Boards and Commissions, an unelected body, not accountable to the taxpayer, but whose recommendations, council almost always follows:





- Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability (ACES)

- Arts, History and Cultural Council (AHCC)

- Board of Health (BH)

- Board of Equalization (BOE)

- Broomfield Housing Alliance (BHA)

- Charter Review Committee (CRC)

- Fiscal Leadership on Water Advisory Committee

- Historic Landmark Board

- Land Use Review Commission

- Library Advisory Board

- Local Licensing Authority

- Neighborhood Board of Adjustments

- Open Space and Trails Advisory Committee

- Parks, Recreation and Senior Services Advisory Committee

- Personnel Merit Commission

- Scientific & Cultural Facilities District

They just added the a FLOW advisory committee to look at water infrastructure, maybe a human rights committee. With each committee the council is relying on unelected citizens who may or may not represent you.

Master Service Agreements - Even less Transparency from Local Government



At the July 22, 2025 City Council Meeting, Council approved several updates on Master Service Agreements and Spending Approvals (7-22-25 Agenda). The City and County of Broomfield (CCOB) is expanding the use of MSAs, building on Resolution 2025-59 (March 2025). MSAs allow the City Manager to authorize on-call, on-demand, and emergency expenditures over $200,000 without repeated Council approvals, streamlining procurement for high-need vendors.

MSAs provide pre-established pricing for multiple vendors, enabling consistent budget management and faster response for on-call or emergency needs (e.g., water treatment chemicals, vehicle repairs).

The Council approved resolutions included approving Resolution 2025-118 (Item 6C, 7-22-25 Agenda) which extends MSA authority to vendors like Core and Main LP, Rexel USA, Inc., TNT Fleet Services, Inc., and Mac Equipment, Inc. for on-call, on-demand, and emergency purchases within approved budgets. Specific funding sources, account numbers, and project numbers are not detailed in the memo, raising transparency concerns. This is in addition to previous approved MSAs (Resolution 2025-59), \which covers vendors for Landscape & Irrigation (e.g., Colorado Design Scapes), Bridge and Guardrail Repair (e.g., ABCO), and Vehicle Body Work (e.g., Diversified Body Shop), and Municipal Code Reference: BMC 3-20-040 which governs purchasing, with exceptions for emergencies (3-20-180) and other cases (3-20-190).



Changing how Council enables Broomfield Staff through MSAs:

Old Aggregate Spend Method: Approved via public resolution (e.g., $500k for Core and Main LP with three 1-year renewals). Purchase orders (POs) encumber the full amount upfront, with spending limited to the budgeted amount and POs expiring annually.

New MSA Method: MSAs are initially non-encumbering, zero-sum contracts. Funds are encumbered only when specific services are identified, and POs are issued. This reduces the need for repeated Council approvals for expenditures over $200k, offering flexibility but less upfront transparency.

While MSAs streamline procurement, they also reduce transparency on how the money you give them to spend wisely, compared to the traditional aggregate spend method. Residents can review BMC 3-20-040 for details or contact staff for funding specifics. The lack of detailed funding sources (account/project numbers) in the agenda memo hinders tracking of expenditures, unlike the clearer aggregate spend method. In streamlining their processes, they forget about you, the taxpayer, and your right to know what is happening to the money.

Does Broomfield have more Affordable Housing or just less housing?

From 2020 to 2024, Broomfield, Colorado, the council tried to increase the supply of housing in Broomfield by implementing an "inclusionary", affordable housing ordinance on March 10, 2020. During this last four years, the city has added a mix of single-family homes, townhomes, condos, and multifamily units, with a focus on affordability and sustainability.

So how have they done? Do taxpayer-funded subsidies and deed restrictions increase efficiency, make homes affordable, and what have been the long-term impacts?

Below is a summary of key developments and considerations:

• Diverse Housing Growth:
• Single-Family Homes: Baseline community added 19 homes in 2024 ($630,490–$685,490), featuring modern designs and amenities like parks.
• Townhomes & Condos: Dillon Pointe and Grand Vue at Interlocken offered townhomes ($317,820–$1,699,000) and condos ($305,000–$6,149,000) with trails and pools.
• Mixed-Use Projects: Wadsworth Junction, Vista Highlands, and HiFi Village at Flatiron Crossing (345 apartments, 20% income-restricted) blended housing with commercial spaces.
• Affordable Housing: Ulysses’ Harvest Hill delivered 157 income-aligned units, including 15 for-sale homes with deed restrictions; Village Cooperative of Broomfield targeted seniors.

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