Co. Const. art. XX, § 1 — Article XX / Section 1
CO Const., Article XX, Section 1
Status: in_force

Incorporated. The municipal corporation known as the city of Denver and all municipal corporations and that part of the quasi-municipal corporation known as the county of Arapahoe, in the state of Colorado, included within the exterior boundaries of the said city of Denver as the same shall be bounded when this amendment takes effect, are hereby consolidated and are hereby declared to be a single body politic and corporate, by the name of the "City and County of Denver". By that name said corporation shall have perpetual succession, and shall own, possess, and hold all property, real and personal, theretofore owned, possessed, or held by the said city of Denver and by such included municipal corporations, and also all property, real and personal, theretofore owned, possessed, or held by the said county of Arapahoe, and shall assume, manage, and dispose of all trusts in any way connected therewith; shall succeed to all the rights and liabilities, and shall acquire all benefits and shall assume and pay all bonds, obligations, and indebtedness of said city of Denver and of said included municipal corporations and of the county of Arapahoe; by that name may sue and defend, plead and be impleaded, in all courts and places, and in all matters and proceedings; may have and use a common seal and alter the same at pleasure; may purchase, receive, hold, and enjoy or sell and dispose of, real and personal property; may receive bequests, gifts, and donations of all kinds of property, in fee simple, or in trust for public, charitable, or other purposes; and do all things and acts necessary to carry out the purposes of such gifts, bequests, and donations, with power to manage, sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of the same in accordance with the terms of the gift, bequest, or trust; shall have the power, within or without its territorial limits, to construct, condemn and purchase, purchase, acquire, lease, add to, maintain, conduct, and operate water works, light plants, power plants, transportation systems, heating plants, and any other public utilities or works or ways local in use and extent, in whole or in part, and everything required therefore, for the use of said city and county and the inhabitants thereof, and any such systems, plants, or works or ways, or any contracts in relation or connection with either, that may exist and which said city and county may desire to purchase, in whole or in part, the same or any part thereof may be purchased by said city and county which may enforce such purchase by proceedings at law as in taking land for public use by right of eminent domain, and shall have the power to issue bonds upon the vote of the taxpaying electors, at any special or general election, in any amount necessary to carry out any of said powers or purposes, as may by the charter be provided. The provisions of section 3 of article XIV of this constitution and the general annexation and consolidation statutes of the state relating to counties shall apply to the city and county of Denver. Any contiguous town, city, or territory hereafter annexed to or consolidated with the city and county of Denver, under any such laws of this state, in whatsoever county the same may be at the time, shall be detached per se from such other county and become a municipal and territorial part of the city and county of Denver, together with all property thereunto belonging. The city and county of Denver shall alone always constitute one judicial district of the state. Any other provisions of this constitution to the contrary notwithstanding: No annexation or consolidation proceeding shall be initiated after the effective date of ​ this amendment pursuant to the general annexation and consolidation statutes of the state of Colorado to annex lands to or consolidate lands with the city and county of Denver until such proposed annexation or consolidation is first approved by a majority vote of a six-member boundary control commission composed of one commissioner from each of the boards of county commissioners of Adams, Arapahoe, and Jefferson counties, respectively, and three elected officials of the city and county of Denver to be chosen by the mayor. The commissioners from each of the said counties shall be appointed by resolution of their respective boards. No land located in any county other than Adams, Arapahoe, or Jefferson counties shall be annexed to or consolidated with the city and county of Denver unless such annexation or consolidation is approved by the unanimous vote of all the members of the board of county commissioners of the county in which such land is located. (Paragraph deleted by amendment, L. 2002, p. 3097, effective upon proclamation of the Governor, L. 2003, p. 3611, December 20, 2002.) (Paragraph deleted by amendment, L. 2002, p. 3097, effective upon proclamation of the Governor, L. 2003, p. 3611, December 20, 2002.) (Paragraph deleted by amendment, L. 2002, p. 3097, effective upon proclamation of the Governor, L. 2003, p. 3611, December 20, 2002.) All actions, including actions regarding procedural rules, shall be adopted by the commission by majority vote. Each commissioner shall have one vote, including the commissioner who acts as the chairman of the commission. All procedural rules adopted by the commission shall be filed with the secretary of state. This amendment shall be self-executing. Source: L. 01: Entire article added, p. 97. Initiated 74: Paragraphs 1-3 were amended by the people, effective upon proclamation of the Governor, December 20, 1974, but do not appear in the session laws. L. 74: Paragraphs 4-11 added, p. 457, effective upon proclamation of the Governor, December 20, 1974. L. 2002: Paragraphs 7-9 deleted, p. 3097, § 1, effective upon proclamation of the Governor, L. 2003, p. 3611, December 20, 2002. Editor's note: The "effective date of this amendment" referred to in paragraph 5 is December 20, 1974. Cross references: For annexation of territory from one county to adjoining county, see § 3 of article XIV of this constitution; for officers of the city and county of Denver, see §§ 2 and 3 of this article; for the control of franchises and the power of taxation, see § 4 of this article; for amendment of charter or adoption of new charter, see § 5 of this article; for home rule for cities and towns and powers of home rule cities generally, see § 6 of this article; for power to regulate rates and service charges of public utilities, see article XXV of this constitution; for statutory provisions relative to the city of Denver, see part 2 of article 11 of title 30.