A petition drive in Greeley just hit its target, setting up a ballot question that could repeal the City Council–approved $1.1 billion financing plan for the proposed Catalyst entertainment district in west Greeley. The project, tied to developer Martin Lind’s Cascadia mixed-use vision, includes an ice arena, hotel, and water park. On Aug. 6, the group “Greeley Deserves Better” turned in 8,279 signatures, with 5,538 validated – more than the 4,586 required. The City Clerk’s office also tossed out about 3,500 signatures, nearly 40 percent, citing deficiencies such as incomplete circulator affidavits. Before the measure can hit the November ballot, a protest hearing will be held to decide if the petitions pass legal muster.
While repeal proponents frame their effort as a grassroots push for fiscal responsibility, supporters of the financing plan accuse the group of being an outside-funded, professional political machine masquerading as local activism. And that’s where the conversation turns to the uncomfortable whispers about dark money, high-powered law firms, and political operatives who couldn’t find Greeley on a map without GPS.
The Bullet Point Brief
- The stakes: $1.1 billion in city-approved financing for the Catalyst entertainment district – the kind of project that comes with ribbon cuttings, big promises, and taxpayer risk.
- The pushback: “Greeley Deserves Better” says the deal guarantees profits for a private developer while putting public services like police, fire, and City Hall at risk.
- The signatures: 8,279 collected, 5,538 valid, 3,500 tossed – a rejection rate big enough to make a bouncer blush.
- The protest: Four Greeley residents filed a 22-page complaint arguing the repeal is unconstitutional because voters can’t overturn an administrative decision.
- The subplot: Allegations swirl of outside political operatives, Denver law firms, California dark money groups, and non-Greeley actors steering this “grassroots” ship.
My Bottom Line
I’m not taking a position on Cascadia. That’s for Greeley’s elected leaders and its residents to hash out. But I will say this: if the allegations about “Greeley Deserves Better” are even half true, it’s political rot at its worst. Denver lawyers, California dark money, Englewood city council members as registered agents, and Larimer County operatives lurking in the background – that’s not democracy, that’s astroturf in a Rockies jersey. Greeley deserves a clean fight on its own terms, not a proxy war bankrolled by people who’ll never set foot in the Catalyst district unless it’s to collect a check. Follow the money, folks (and I will) – it usually knows where the bodies are buried.
Five Questions Greeley Deserves Answered
- Why Denver lawyers?
Why is an expensive Denver law firm – West Group Law + Policy, known for fighting ballot measures statewide – cutting checks on behalf of “Greeley Deserves Better”? - Who’s behind the California connection?
Why did GDB coordinate with a California-based dark money group, With Many Hands, with documented George Soros ties, to push its agenda here? - Why an out-of-town registered agent?
Why is GDB’s registered agent Steven Ward, a sitting Englewood City Council member, who has no known connection to Greeley residents or businesses? - Who’s feeding the push poll?
How does lobbyist Sandra Solin (Full disclosure: Sandra is a close friend of mine) have inside knowledge of the controversial “community sentiment” poll GDB loves to cite? - Where’s the money coming from?
Who’s paying for GDB’s high-priced operations – the professional organizers, the legal fights, the signature drives? And why are they hiding it?
