What We Do
How Sh*t Gets Done (HSGD) provides resources, events, and education about aspects of Denver City Government to help everyday people to engage with the system and affect change.
Budget Sessions.
According to the Denver City Charter [sounds boring but you should read it — it’s basically the constitution of our city-our guiding, founding document of how we run the place where we live] the Denver Mayor is required to present a city budget on or before mid-September each year.
While we do have a Strong Mayor City [cities where the mayor has a lot of power and council members have a little], budget season is one of the few times of year, should they choose, council members can flex their power. Council members can offer amendments to the proposed budget and if they can get 7 other council members to support (vote yes!) on their amendments, they pass, and if they can get 9 other council members to support their amendment - even if the mayor wants to veto it - it passes!
This is also a time when people power can work to make budget changes! That’s why HSGD hosts a yearly event toward the end of October to educate community members about the Denver City Budget, how it works, and how to advocate for the priorities they want to see in the budget.
Ballot Initiatives.
There are two groups of people who can make local laws—elected officials, and US! The people! We can make laws through the ballot initiative process, which requires a series of specific steps like drafting the proposal, gathering support signatures for it, and putting up for a vote of the people and getting it to pass.
For several years in Denver community members have had an appetite for proposing and (often, not always!) passing citizen-led ballot initiatives. However, one complication of this process is that it makes our ballots quite lengthy and sometimes confusing.
HSGD holds panels to educate community members about what is on their ballot and give them the opportunity to directly ask their questions to the people working on the initiatives.
Ballot Initiative Process →
Past Citizen-Led Inititives →
