A Message from the Boulder County Commissioners

• The Office of Financial Management presented the county's 2027 Recommended Budget to the Boulder County Commissioners.
• $13.2 million in budget reductions includes layoffs, the elimination of vacancies, and cuts to operating costs.
• There is a public hearing on Oct. 22 where people can share comments with the commissioners. People can also use the online feedback form.
• To receive this information in another language, please email Gloria Handyside ghandyside@bouldercounty.gov.

Today we can share that Boulder County is on track to correct our structural budget deficit and that it is our intention that this year’s budget process marks the foreseeable end of countywide cuts.

At today’s Public Meeting, the county’s Office of Financial Management presented the 2027 Recommended Budget, which reflects $13.2 million in reductions to recurring costs. These reductions are required to ensure we don’t have ongoing expenditures that exceed our revenue.

Our biggest recurring costs are from salaries of county employees, which means these budget reductions include the unfortunate elimination of up to 36 positions countywide. This includes an estimated 10 to 15 layoffs that will occur before the end of the year. The remaining position reductions primarily come from vacant positions.

Cuts to operating expenses include fleet acquisitions, facilities and maintenance, and software costs. Overall, 70% of the reductions come from personnel costs and 30% come from operating costs.

The recommended budget is a product of months of work from county staff and elected officials to identify how we find reductions while continuing to offer services and programs to the people of Boulder County. It continues to be a challenging process, and we are grateful to all of the staff and leaders within the county for their partnership in this process.

When presented with the reality that our spending outpaced our revenue, we made the responsible decision to correct our spending. Tapping into the county’s reserve fund, which we use for one-time costs and emergency situations, would not have solved our problem – it would have only kicked it down the road. Particularly in light of federal changes that are coming in 2027 related to H.R.1, we need to be in a solid financial position to address devastating impacts to the safety net.

Like other local governments along the Front Range, Boulder County continues to navigate changes in property tax revenues, inflation, and increasing costs to deliver public services. These pressures reinforce the importance of maintaining a financially sustainable budget.

This year’s budget process has been guided by Priority-Based Budgeting. The goal was to make decisions strategically instead of reducing all budgets equally. Through this process, county staff evaluated:

• which programs are legally required
• which services provide the greatest value
• which services align with Commissioners’ Strategic Priorities
• opportunities to improve efficiency before reducing services

On Oct. 22, we will hold a public hearing where people can share their feedback on the recommended budget before we adopt the budget in December. This is part of our commitment to our priority of Good Governance. We invite you to join us to share your comments during the public hearing (information below) or through the online feedback form.

Commissioner Claire Levy

Commissioner Marta Loachamin

Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann

More Information

The Oct. 1 recording of the 2027 Recommended Budget presentation will be available shortly on the Boulder County Meeting Portal.

Department and Office reductions that received board support at the Aug. 4 Work Session and the Sept. 15 Work Session are included in the 2027 Recommended Budget.

To find out more about the budget and budget process, visit the budget website.

Public Hearing on the 2027 Recommended Budget

Oct. 22 at 1:00 p.m.

Location - Hybrid: 3rd Floor Hearing Room (1325 Pearl St) and Zoom Webinar Virtual Attendee Link: https://boco.org/BOCC-Oct22AM

Registration Required

Call-in information: 1-833-568-8864, Webinar ID: 165 584 7884

In-Person Comment Registration: In-Person Comment Registration: https://boco.org/InPerson-Comments

• Visit the County Commissioners' webpage
• View the Commissioners' Meeting Documents and Records
• Email the Board of County Commissioners

Americans with Disabilities Act Notice

Special Assistance
Boulder County wants to ensure that everyone has equal access to our programs, activities, and services. To request an Americans with Disability Act (ADA) accommodation, please email the ADA Coordinator at ada@bouldercounty.gov, or call 303-441-1386. Submit your request as early as possible, and no later than two business days before the event. Review the Boulder County's ADA Policy