Colorado Springs City Council approves the city’s 2026 budget
The Colorado Springs City Council made the final vote Tuesday to approve the city’s 2026 budget.
The approved, balanced budget outlines $907 million in funding for Colorado Springs, a decline from the city’s current budget of $941 million. The budget was approved 7-2, with the opposing votes cast by Council President Lynette Crow-Iverson and President Pro Tem Brian Risley.
The General Fund, the primary source of revenue for city departments without a dedicated funding source, will decrease $11 million in 2026 to $427 million. The drop is due to Colorado Springs’ expected increase in sales tax revenues not materializing.
The General Fund budget will provide a $6.8 million increase for the Colorado Springs Police Department, a $628,000 increase for the Fire Department and increases of less than $50,000 for the Office of Emergency Management and the City Council’s legislative staff.
On the other side, the I.T. and Parks departments will have their General Fund funding decline by more than a million dollars. Most other city departments will face small budget cuts.
“This budget embodies the priorities of our residents: stronger emergency response, safer neighborhoods and improved roads. Even in the midst of economic headwinds, we are making strategic investments in the core services that strengthen our community,” Mayor Yemi Mobolade said in a statement Tuesday.
The City Council made few changes from the preliminary version of the budget that Mobolade introduced in early October. Councilmembers approved a plan to spend up to $3.9 million in retail marijuana sales tax revenue from this year and 2026, which limited some of the public safety budget cuts. The council also made a few shifts to the allocations of the lodgers and automobile rental tax.
Councilmember Risley had repeatedly expressed his concerns during the budget process, especially about the city projecting a slight increase in its 2026 sales tax revenue instead of remaining flat. He had pressed for an even more conservative budget, which would have involved cutting an additional $3.5 million in General Fund expenses.
City spokesman Joe Hollmann said that Mobolade was expected to sign off on the final budget on Monday, Dec. 1.