AURORA | City Attorney Dan Brotzman will retire at the end of June from his role as top legal adviser to the Aurora City Council and manager of the city’s corps of civil and criminal attorneys, according to a news release.
“For the past 38 years I have been fortunate to serve leaders, citizens and the community in Colorado municipal government,” Brotzman wrote in a letter to the Aurora City Attorney’s Office that was quoted in the city’s March 25 release.
“I have been blessed to work together with and alongside an amazing group of attorneys, legal staff and outside counsel in my career. Together, they have (provided) and continue to provide exceptional advice and counsel by working shoulder-to-shoulder with dedicated public servants, all of which is for the benefit of the citizens and community.”
Brotzman was hired in 2016 and was appointed as city attorney in November 2019. Prior to that, he served as Englewood’s city attorney for 28 years, resigning in 2015.
The city’s release highlighted how Brotzman helped council members develop and implement policies on everything from public safety, to water conservation, to land use, including the creation of Aurora’s Unified Development Ordinance.
He was also praised for his restructuring of his office, which the release said helped the city prioritize environmental issues facing Aurora.
Brotzman’s tenure hasn’t been without controversy. In 2022, the criminal division of his office was forced to review hundreds of cases involving police officers whose credibility had been formally questioned after prosecutors were found to have failed in their legal duty to notify defendants of those credibility problems. Judge Shawn Day at the time called the situation “more than disturbing.”
Around the same time, Brotzman served as legal counsel during a closed-door meeting where the council voted to terminate censure proceedings against Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky, which an appeals court has since found occurred in violation of Colorado’s Open Meetings Law.
The Aurora City Attorney’s Office currently includes a staff of about 65 people. The city said in its release that plans to find a permanent replacement for Brotzman are still being finalized.
“I have found the attorneys in my office to be bright, hardworking, caring people with their hearts and intentions in the right place,” Brotzman said in the release. “I am eternally grateful to my wonderful team.”