Save your Cherry creek north neighborhood
🚨 NEW TAX 🚨🚨 NEW TAX 🚨🚨 NEW TAX 🚨
We’re being taxed without representation, steamrolled by officials who won’t even be here to face the consequences.
CCNNA’s Statement and Our Response:
What Residents Deserve to Know
Community Leadership & CCNNA Mission Accountability
Persistence & Vigilence WINS!
Councilwoman Sawyer’s Formal Concession
See the Proof of Neighborhood Action for Yourself!
Join us and Prepare for a Productive Meeting:
🚨Sept 9th Planning Session🚨
The upcoming weeks are critical for stopping the GID in Cherry Creek North. To make the most of our opportunities, we are hosting an Emergency Planning Session on Tuesday, Sept 9th. This page has everything you need to prepare for that meeting — and to be ready for Bromwell on Sept 16th.
This is not just a “Property Tax.” It’s a City Tax.
Do you want another permanent tax? Do you want the city to have total control of your property?
Cherry Creek North residents say “NO!”
Overwhelming Opposition. Questionable Data. No Consent.
Still Moving Forward.
GID INITIATIVE OVERVIEW
Cherry Creek North residents did not ask for a General Improvement District (GID). Yet city officials are moving forward with a plan that would impose new mandatory assessment taxes on every property owner in our neighborhood.
Here’s What You Need to Know:
- Fewer than 5% of CCN residents even completed the survey — most never saw it.
- 65% of survey participants said they do not support the GID.
- 10% of survey participants needed more information before making a decision.
- Only 25% were interested in the GID.
- The process is being driven by an appointed consultant and Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer, not the residents who will be forced to foot the bill.
- There is no defined plan, no clear tax structure or defined methodology for assessments, and no guaranteed benefits for our neighborhood.
- Long-Term City Tax Commitment, Short-Term Local Benefit
- Assessments are set upfront — but once in place, the City can adjust them every year.
- Much of the promised work (patrols, lighting, etc.) would likely be completed within the first three years.
- Residents would still pay for the full 10-year term, even after local needs are met.
- Any excess revenue could be used to fund large bond projects outside of Cherry Creek North.
This result does NOT warrant any further process, discussion, work sessions, or tax-payer funding for consultants in Cherry Creek North.
You will be taxed—but you won’t have a vote, a voice, or a way out.
65% of Residents Said NO to the GID Tax — But still being forced on Cherry Creek North.
“I’ve never seen a more blatant case of being railroaded by people who don’t even live here.”
– Cherry Creek North Resident (Anonymous)
Why We Oppose the GID Tax
01
no clarity
Once We’re In, There’s No Getting Out
If Cherry Creek North is forced into the GID, there is no clear exit strategy. Even if the proposed improvements are completed within a few years, City Council will likely continue collecting the assessment and redirecting funds elsewhere.
This is NOT a “Property Tax”– It is a CITY TAX.
With bureaucracy in place and money flowing, reversing or reducing the tax becomes nearly impossible. Residents lose control — and City Hall gains a permanent funding stream.
02
no accountability
The GID Could Divert Our Tax Dollars Outside Cherry Creek North
This isn’t just about beautifying our neighborhood. The proposed GID has the legal authority to fund projects outside of Cherry Creek North — including massive bond issues and infrastructure projects that don’t benefit our community.
If passed, CCN residents could be forced to subsidize improvements elsewhere, all while carrying the financial burden ourselves.
03
no response to concerned residents
The GID Process Was Driven by Insiders — Not Residents
Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer and her handpicked planning group proposed the GID without ever conducting a proper resident-led survey or informing the community of the full financial implications. In fact, the President of the CCNNA Board was involved in the planning process — yet the CCNNA never formally polled residents or disclosed the tax burden.
This was not a grassroots process — it was top-down, and it excluded the very people being asked to pay for it.
Remember: Assessments are STILL TAXES!
How Much Will It Cost Us Just to Complete the GID Evaluation Process?
Residents have been asking–and those responsible still refuse to give a straight answer.
This is what we do know:
$15,000
Already Spent on Phase 1
?
Additional Stages Lack Financial Transparency
$100,000+
If All Stages are Completed, Total Consultant Fees
That’s up to $100,000 of OUR tax dollars spent just to design and push forward a tax we don’t want — before a single “improvement” is made.
“They’re using our own money to plan how to take more of it.”
Anonymous Cherry Creek North Resident
What will you get in return for supporting the GID?
No one knows.
The response so far from those responsible is that services and implementation will be decided AFTER the GID is formed.
In other words, “Trust Us.”
LACK OF CITY & COUNCILPERSON SUPPORT TO RESIDENTS
Cherry Creek North residents have long contributed significantly to Denver’s tax base — paying an estimated $20 million of City Taxes in residential property taxes in 2024 alone.
Despite this, we continue to see our neighborhood deprioritized when it comes to basic services and infrastructure funding.
Instead of providing the improvements the City once funded, Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer stated publicly that “prosperous neighborhoods will need to pay for these improvements and services” themselves. In other words, the City is actively shifting costs onto homeowners — while refusing to commit to what those costs will be or what we’ll receive in return.
Though Councilwoman Sawyer has now claimed she secured $30-40 million for Cherry Creek in a new bond package — only after significant public pushback — these numbers represent the bond package she secured for ALL of District 5 and won’t primarily be spent in Cherry Creek North. The message is clear: funding for our community is not guaranteed, and residents are being positioned as a convenient source of revenue for a system that has already decided its priorities.
And now, the GID process moves forward under her leadership — even though Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer has announced she will not be seeking re-election. That means the taxes will stay, but the accountability leaves with her. Meanwhile, Mayor Mike Johnston and city staff continue to back a process that puts CCN homeowners on the hook for costs the City used to cover.
“It feels like we’re being shaken down — and the people doing it won’t even be around to deal with the consequences.”
— Cherry Creek North Resident (Anonymous)
We don’t need vague promises. We need real representation.
★★★★★
As a long-time resident of Cherry Creek North, I believe that removing our neighborhood from the Cherry Creek GID is essential for our community’s autonomy and growth. This change will empower us to address local issues more effectively and enhance our property rights, ensuring that our voices are heard in local governance.
Dana Busch
Cherry Creek Resident
July – August 2025
IMMEDIATE CRITICAL ACTION
Feasibility study open; working groups and resident survey feedback.
Fall 2025 – Summer 2026
Upcoming Campaign
Business plan, petition circulation, City Council hearings
October – November 2026
Get Out the Vote
TABOR mail ballot election on GID formation—inclusive of any proposed debt question
January 2027
If Unsuccessful…
Automatic Property Tax Increases
Unelected Oversight of Spending
Loss of Local Control to Bureaucracy
What You Can Do NOW
- Join our mailing list to stay informed and receive meeting notices.
- Attend our upcoming community forums—dates to be determined.
- Volunteer to help distribute flyers, door knock, send emails, and rally support before the vote in fall 2026.
- Contact us with your questions—let us amplify your voice to decision-makers.
Join Us in Advocating for Cherry Creek North’s Independence Today!
Together, we can work towards removing our neighborhood from the Cherry Creek GID and reclaiming our community rights. Your voice matters!
Stand with your neighbors and make a difference in our local governance. Every effort counts towards a brighter future for Cherry Creek North.