The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, but Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s proposed budget for 2022 indicates optimism about how the city is recovering from the health and economic crisis. Hancock and his staff projected Wednesday there will be $1.485 billion in the general fund revenue to tap into 2022. That’s 12% more than the $1.33 billion projected for this year due to the pandemic taking its toll on a municipal income that relies heavily on sales and use taxes. If the projections hold for 2022, Denver will be on a similar footing to where it was at the outset of 2020, when the Hancock administration projected $1.486 billion in revenues.