2023 Budget
At a public meeting on Dec. 6, 2022, the Boulder County Commissioners adopted a budget of $593.5 million for 2023. The public meeting was the culmination of the county’s budget process, which included a public comment period and public hearing.
Now that the budget has been formally adopted, the Office of Financial Management has prepared a summary of the adopted budget. A full budget book publication will be available by spring 2023.
Revenue highlights for the 2023 Budget:
- The Commissioners certified a 2023 mill levy for the county of 24.746 mills (compared to 24.250 mills in 2022), which is projected to generate property tax revenues of $229.4 million (up from $228.5 million in 2022). Property tax revenue is distributed as follows (from 2022 data):
- School districts (54%)
- Boulder County (26%)
- Cities and towns (11%)
- Fire, water, and special districts (9%)
- Sales and Use Tax revenues, which are limited to expenditures explicitly approved by Boulder County voters, are projected to increase in 2023 by six percent over projected 2022 numbers. This increase is attributed to a stable economy and statutes that require remote sellers to now remit tax to the county. In addition, the voter-approved Wildfire Mitigation and Emergency Services Sales and Use Tax rates will take effect on Jan. 1, 2023 and are expected to generate an additional $19 million in revenue.
Overview and Highlights
- While much of the 2023 budget addresses ongoing program and operating expenditures for Boulder County, the following are notable additions or one-time expenditures:
- The 2023 budget funds capital projects and purchases across various funds. Of note is continued funding for construction of the Alternative Sentencing Facility in the amount of $12.4 million and an additional $1.4 million to implement a software solution to manage the facility and the clients served there, $2.5 million for replacement or upgraded equipment at the Recycling Center, and $1.2 million for vehicle replacements to keep the county’s fleet current and to minimize related maintenance costs.
- $15 million has been appropriated for continued spending of Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in 2023. ARPA funds must be spent on activities and programs related to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit org/ARPA for details.
- The Road & Bridge Fund budget contains $16.7 million for the maintenance and rehabilitation of county roads and bridges as well as $20.4 million for continued work on dedicated transportation sales tax projects.
- New full time equivalent staff (FTEs) were kept to a minimum for 2023, however the budget does include an additional 30 new FTEs, ten of which are funded by property taxes. Seven new positions in the Sheriff’s Office are required to address new statutory mandates, three new positions in Public Works will staff the new Southeast Lafayette HUB facility, and nine new positions are funded by voter-approved sales and use taxes to support the county’s Sustainability, Parks and Open Space and Offender Management programs, among others.
- In light of record inflation experienced in 2022 and the volatility of the local job market, a salary and benefits package for county employees includes continued funding for flat rate pay increases of $200 a month for all employees, a 5% general increase, and 2% discretionary pool for each office and department.
2023 Budget (Current Year’s Budget)
2023 Boulder County Budget Book – OpenGov
2023 Budget Summary
2023 Boulder County Budget Summary
2022 Budget
2022 Boulder County Budget Book