Did Grand Junction’s City Council enable a pay-to-play deal?
By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice
When the City of Grand Junction accepted a $3 million donation from Intermountain Health (St. Mary’s Hospital) in exchange for naming rights to its new Community Recreation Center (CRC), the deal looked like a win for the community.
But behind that vote lies a contract process that critics say gave some bidders an unfair advantage — a deal many providers never had a fair shot at.
A formal ethics complaint filed with the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission (CIEC) accuses city officials of shaping a public request for proposals (RFPs) in a way that prioritized money over merit.
Among concerns that contributions guided the RFP process, there’s also allegations that some engaged in negotiating discussions lo...