Comments (1) Best Job by a Short-Term Mayor - 2011
Bill Vidal
Hand-picked by John Hickenlooper to serve as deputy mayor while he ran for governor, and then to move up to mayor for the last bit of Hickenlooper's second term, then-Manager of Public Works Bill Vidal had big shoes to fill. So far, Vidal's not only found those shoes a comfortable fit, but picked up the pace, mapping out an ambitious agenda for his six months in office — starting with juggling remaining staffers for maximum efficiency, then moving on to clean up controversial cases still outstanding in the police and sheriff's departments. At the end of March, new Manager of Safety Charley Garcia fired the two officers involved in the DeHerrera beating in LoDo; next up, Vidal's administration will tackle the death of Marvin Booker at the Denver jail. A native of Cuba who spent time in a Pueblo orphanage, Vidal has a fascinating backstory — but we're more interested in seeing what he does next.
