Colorado Desk - Colorado Springs City Council passes 2025 budget

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~ Colorado Springs City Council Passes 2025 Budget, Focused on Addressing Resident Needs

The Colorado Springs City Council has officially passed the city's 2025 budget, with a total of $438 million allocated for the General Fund. This marks a 2.4% increase from the previous year's budget.

Mayor Yemi Mobolade expressed his gratitude to the City Council for their hard work and dedication in passing the budget. He stated that the budget is a result of months of collaboration, feedback, and careful planning to ensure that the city continues to thrive while addressing the most pressing needs of its residents.

One of the key challenges faced by the city in preparing this budget was the expected increase in sales tax revenue by 3.5%, which is not enough to cover the rising costs of providing essential services to residents. To maintain a balanced budget and responsible use of taxpayer dollars, budget reductions from last year have been maintained, along with utilizing $3.9 million from reserved funds and rebudgeting savings from 2024 to 2025.

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In addition, Mayor Mobolade announced that the city will continue to cap its property tax rate for 2025, providing relief to residents from potential increases in property taxes.

The 2025 General Fund highlights include several additions and continued funding for crucial services. The Police Department will see an increase of 20 officers to keep pace with the city's growth, as well as three civilian positions in areas such as photo enforcement and training support.

Funding for replacement of emergency vehicles and apparatus for both Police and Fire Departments will also continue. The Homeless Outreach Program (HOP) within the Fire Department will receive continued funding to provide resources and navigation for access to healthcare, housing, and mental health resources.

The Police Department's Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) will also receive continued funding. In terms of employee compensation, all sworn Police and Fire employees will receive a 2% increase, while civilian employees will see an average of 2% pay for performance increase.

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The budget also includes the addition of a Quality of Life Team in the Neighborhood Services Division, funded by reallocating vacant positions and associated funding from other areas of the organization. A maintenance technician will also be added to Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services to address neighborhood parks, including the new Grey Hawk Park.

Four vacant positions will be transferred to housing services, replacing previously grant-funded positions. The budget also includes continued funding of $500,000 for shelter bed operations for people experiencing homelessness.

In an effort to increase efficiency, the Neighborhood Services division will be transferred to Public Works Operations and Maintenance.

The complete proposed 2025 City budget is available at ColoradoSprings.gov/Budget. With careful planning and collaboration, the City Council has passed a budget that addresses the needs of its residents while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

Filed Under: Government, City

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