Denver City Budget 2026
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$11 million sought for Denver police overtime, separation payouts
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The Denver Police Department is short $11 million and is asking the city to pick up the tab for unplanned and unfunded overtime tied to numerous protests and officer-involved shootings this year. Part of the request would also cover shortfalls in DPD separation payouts. The money, if approved by the City Council, would come from…
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Denver council rejects 2026 budget, but mayor’s $1.66B spending plan will still govern operations
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The Denver City Council rejected Mayor Mike Johnston’s $1.66 billion spending plan, but the proposal, as amended, will still govern operations, as the charter requires the city to have a budget in place by Nov. 12. In a split 6-6 vote on Monday, councilmembers expressed disappointment with various aspects of the budget process, citing its…
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Denver City Council expected to approve city budget on Monday
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Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced that he will not exercise his veto authority and accept all 10 of the Denver City Council’s amendments to his proposed 2026 spending plan, which means his proposed $1.66 billion budget, as amended, is poised to become the city’s official budget after an official City Council vote on Monday. The…
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Denver Council rejects push to pull millions from police for homeless spending
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A push to shift millions of dollars away from the Denver Police Department to pay for homeless families’ shelter failed on Monday night, when councilmembers waded through more than two dozen amendments. The council voted against a pair of amendments, sponsored independently by Councilmember Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez and At-large Councilmember Sarah Parady, both of which proposed…
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Residents weigh in on Denver’s proposed 2026 spending plan
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More than 60 individuals signed up to weigh in on Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s proposed 2026 spending plan at a required public hearing at Monday’s City Council meeting. While public comments spanned the gamut of city issues, many called for the mayor to restore funding to the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Office and to provide…
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Denver mayor’s revised budget: $4 million in funding additions
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Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has returned his amended 2026 spending plan back to the City Council for review, leveraging $4 million in interest from American Rescue Plan Act funds to address 11 of the council’s 16 proposed additions. The addition now brings the proposed city spending plan to $1.664 million. Along with added funding for…
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Denver City Council to consider more funding for homeless services
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Denver is moving one step closer to its final 2026 spending plan on Monday, with Mayor Mike Johnston delivering his final proposed budget to the City Council. After it is delivered, the budget will be open for inspection from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, in the City Council Office, Room 451 of…
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Loss of one-time funding sources to impact Denver’s shelter budget
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Denver’s Department of Housing Stability presented its slimmed-down 2026 spending plan on Monday as city budget hearings continue. With a projected general fund request of $71.6 million – down 0.13% from this year – HOST Executive Director Jamie Rife detailed the effects of the city’s loss of one-time federal funding, such as ARPA, for many…
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Johnston proposes a Denver budget that would ‘cut to the bone’
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Denver Mayor Mike Johnston unveiled his proposal for the city and county’s 2026 budget during a news briefing on Monday, saying the $1.66 billion general fund budget would “cut to the bone.” Johnston called the 5.8% reduction in spending, which aims to fill a $200 million gap, as the “most conservative” in 15 years. The…
