Mayor Douglas again faces disturbing allegations at city council meeting

Commerce City Mayor Steve Douglas can’t seem to find much love lately – even among his erstwhile supporters.

At the City Council meeting of January 6, 2025, during the public comment session, David Polley, a local activist who was among Mayor Douglas’ biggest supporters during his election, stood in front of Council and essentially unloaded on the Mayor, calling him out for “acting in an inappropriate, unethical, and immoral manner.” If Mr. Polley’s allegations are even partially accurate, it suggests some truly disturbing behavior on the part of Mayor Douglas.

Click here to watch David Polley address Commerce City Council on January 6th. Comments start at about 38 minutes.

During his three minutes at the microphone, Polley accused Douglas of running a detailed background check on him, which included accumulation of personal data, including phone numbers. Polley further alleges that when he confronted Douglas about this, that he lied.

“The short version is the mayor ran an unknown and unconsented background check on me to collect personal information including details of every phone number I have had going back for the last 25 years,” Polley said, addressing the Council. “When confronted by this, he denied it and said I gave him this information while I was drunk. I never did any such thing. I have asked him to tell the truth and to offer his apologies formally, yet he refuses to do so in an appropriate manner.”

Polley then went on to address the Mayor directly, adding “I want to know, Mr. Mayor, how you came about my detailed personal information. Why you then, regardless of whether I gave it to you drunk, saved it in your phone for later use.” He then asked several accusatory questions, including whether he had done this to other community members, or to Polley’s wife, what his motivations might have been, and whether or not he did this on his own or under the privilege of his office.

Now, obviously, there are two sides to every story, and the mayor was not about to engage Mr. Polley in open chambers. But these are rather serious allegations which Mayor Douglas needs to address; and furthermore, Mr. Polley’s questions demand answers – did Mayor Douglas do this, and if so has he done it to anyone else? For what reason? Did he use the powers of his office to essentially spy on a citizen? We look forward to the Mayor’s answers.