Mayor presents balanced 2025 budget to City Council with a focus on public safety

Mayor Yemi Mobolade today presented a balanced 2025 City budget to Colorado Springs City Council focused on public safety, city cleanup and addressing issues surrounding homelessness.

"Today we present a balanced 2025 City budget to council that priorities the needs and values of the community, including hiring additional police officers and providing additional staff for cleaning up homelessness encampments," said Mayor Yemi. "Across all departments and functions, we have an obligation to our residents and visitors to continue to provide excellent services. And we are guided by our organizational values of being transparent, approachable, and proactive. That is why our budget exemplifies good governance by prioritizing evidence-based decision-making, rearranging operations and resources to create efficiencies, and leaning toward upstream solutions to address the root causes of City's key challenges."

The proposed General Fund budget for 2025 of $440,037,344 is a 2.7% increase from the previous year. While sales tax revenue is expected to increase 3.5% next year, revenue increases are not expected to fully cover the increased costs of providing key services to residents. To ensure a balanced budget and the responsible use of taxpayer dollars, Mayor Yemi is keeping budget reductions from last year in place, rebudgeting savings from 2024 to 2025, and utilizing $6.5 million of reserved funds. The reserve fund balance would remain at 17%, which is higher than the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) recommended target of 16.7%.

"Unfortunately, just like costs have increased for many residents and businesses, the City has also seen unavoidable cost increases for providing our basic city services," said Mayor Yemi.

"That is why we are continuing our budget reductions from last year and relying on the use of our rainy-day fund. Together we are making the tough but responsible choices that will ensure a balanced budget that still meets the growing needs of our community."

The City will also continue to cap its 2025 property tax rate, providing relief to residents from increased property taxes.

2025 General Fund Highlights

• The addition of 20 Police officers to grow authorized strength and keep pace with city's growth.
• The addition of 3 Police Department civilian positions in the areas of photo enforcement, Training Academy support, and the body-worn camera program.
• Continued funding for replacement of Police Department emergency vehicles and Fire Department apparatus.
• Continued funding for the Homeless Outreach Program (HOP) in the Fire Department; this program provides resources and navigation for access to healthcare, housing, and mental and behavioral health resources.
• Continued funding for the Police Department's Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), which is an investment in our community's access to housing and an improved quality of life
• Compensation increases of 2% for all Police and Fire sworn employees and an average of 2% pay for performance increase for Civilian employees.
• An additional Quality of Life Team in Neighborhood Services, added by reallocating vacant positions and associated funding from other areas of the organization.
• A Maintenance Technician in Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services to address neighborhood parks, including the new Grey Hawk Park.
• Transfer four vacant positions to housing services, replacing positions that were previously grant funded.
• Continued funding of $500,000 for shelter bed operations for people experiencing homelessness.
• Transfer the Neighborhood Services division to Public Works Operations and Maintenance, to increase efficiencies of equipment use and work assignment.

Read Mayor Yemi's letter to Councilon the budget and view the complete proposed 2025 City budget at ColoradoSprings.gov/Budget.