October 10, 2024
Commissioners Reaffirm Funding Commitments During County Budget Process
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Alternative Sentencing Facility Scheduled to Open in 2025
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- The Boulder County Commissioners are in the process of deciding how public money will be spent in 2025.
- Residents can share their thoughts through upcoming events or written comments.
- To receive this information in another language, contact Gloria Handyside (303) 441-1622 ghandyside@bouldercounty.gov
Boulder County, Colo. -- During the most recent 2025 budget meeting, the Boulder County Commissioners reaffirmed their commitment to opening and operating the Alternative Sentencing Facility (ASF) in 2025 and outlined the projected increase in funding for health and welfare services.
Speaking at the 2025 Boulder County Recommended Budget Presentation on Tuesday (Oct. 8), the commissioners shared the budget process, funding and revenue challenges, and existing commitments.
“Although the county’s 2025 budget is not yet decided, we want to highlight some of the commitments that the Boulder County Commissioners have already agreed to and which are built into the recommended budget,” said Commissioner Claire Levy. “We are committed to Boulder County opening and operating the voter-approved Alternative Sentencing Facility in 2025 and the small expansion of the Boulder County Jail, which is needed to operate the jail safely both for offenders and staff.”
“Demand continues to increase for the county’s health and welfare services while available federal and state funding continues to decrease from what were very high levels during the peak of the global pandemic,” said Commissioner Marta Loachamin. “We remain committed to maximizing funding as much as possible for these services as they impact many of our residents who have been put in the most vulnerable circumstances.”
“The recommended budget is the result of months of complex work from county staff and the process is still ongoing,” said Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann. “We invite residents to get involved by joining us at our Town Hall event on Oct. 15, by sharing written comments through our website, and by speaking at the budget public hearing, in person or online, on Oct. 22.”
Alternative Sentencing Facility and extension of the Boulder County Jail
The tax measure to fund construction of the ASF was approved by Boulder County voters in 2018 with the goal of keeping low risk offenders out of expensive jail beds and enable better outcomes for the jail population. This facility will contribute to making Boulder County a leader in providing a more rehabilitative and therapeutic approach to successful community re-entry.
Since the voter-approved tax covered the construction costs of the ASF, but not the operational costs, Boulder County has anticipated for a number of years that 2025 would require an increase in expenditure, which is why the county has been contributing to the general fund balance.
In 2025, a portion of the fund balance will be used to bridge the gap between one-time expenditures and annual revenues, which is standard procedure.
In future years, the operational funding for the ASF will come from various sources, including grants, programmatic revenue, including state funding for community corrections services, and the county’s annual general fund budget.
The jail expansion costs will become part of the ongoing base budget for the Sheriff’s Office.
Health and welfare
In 2024, the Health and Welfare budget was $104 million. The 2025 recommended base budget for health and welfare is $112 million – an $8 million increase. The commissioners are still to consider an additional $15 million in budget requests.
Demand continues to increase for human services while available federal and state funding continues to decrease from very high federal funding at the peak of the global pandemic. Costs have gone up while county revenue remains relatively flat.
The county has been transparent with community partners that some funding was time-limited while acknowledging that the county is unable to replace all the funding the federal government was able to provide.
The county provides a significant amount of support for residents, provided by Boulder County staff and partner nonprofit agencies, including housing, family and children’s services, food assistance, financial assistance, services for older adults, health coverage, health improvement programs, education and skill building, and employment and training services for all job seekers and employers.
Get involved in the budget process
The 2025 Recommended Boulder County Budget presentation on Oct. 8 focused on new budget requests, and not on the 2025 Boulder County base budget, which totals $576,527,710 for services and infrastructure.
To understand what the county spends to serve our community, please visit boco.org/budget to review the 2024 budget book, 2025 budget requests, future meetings, and more.
Members of the public are invited to:
- Share written comments.
- Attend the Commissioners’ Town Hall on the 2025 Budget on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 5:30 p.m. at the East Boulder Community Center. Registration not required.
- Register to speak at the budget public hearing (in-person or virtually) on Oct. 22 (1 p.m.) – sign up for the Commissioners’ Advance Agenda to receive registration details.
The budget is scheduled to be approved by the commissioners on Dec. 3. The county is required by state law to approve a balanced budget by Dec. 15.
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