Fort Collins Climate Action Program Loses 25% of Project Management Capacity in Budget Cuts
Fort Collins' environmental sustainability programs will lose approximately 25% of project management capacity under budget reductions proposed by City Manager Kelly DiMartino, raising concerns from a city councilmember about whether the cuts violate voter intent for climate funding.
The reductions affect the city's work on zero waste, carbon reduction and air quality goals at a time when Fort Collins employs significantly more staff for climate initiatives than comparable Colorado cities except Boulder.
The Sustainability Services Department faced cuts exceeding the 6% reduction target given to most city departments, with environmental programs bearing the brunt of reductions while social services and economic development areas saw minimal cuts, according to documents presented at the October 14 city council work session.
General Fund Climate Position Eliminated
The budget proposal eliminates a general fund-supported climate position while filling a similar role funded by the city's 2050 sales tax, prompting Councilmember Kelly Ohlson to question whether the move contradicts voter expectations that the new tax revenue would supplement rather than replace existing funding.
"The 2050 tax was supposed to be new things on climate, not reducing the general fund climate and then funding it with 2050," Ohlson said during the work session. "That was never intended to be the case."
City officials said the eliminated general fund position had become vacant when staff resigned to attend graduate school, while the 2050 tax position was separately approved and filled to honor commitments from the voter-approved measure. The positions involve similar but not identical work on climate programs.
Fort Collins voters approved the 0.50% sales tax on November 7, 2023, with 21% of revenues dedicated to "implementation of climate, water, zero waste, and sustainability programs and projects," according to the ballot language. The tax generates approximately $106.9 million annually, with roughly $22.4 million allocated to climate and sustainability work.
City financial policy states that "revenues generated from new voter-approved taxes should supplement rather than supplant current funding for the specified purposes unless the ballot language or Council's intent expressed in related documentation explicitly allows for replacement."
Staff Defended Cuts as Necessary Trade-Offs
Jacob Lindsey, Acting Director of Sustainability Services, told council that the department had to make difficult choices to meet budget reduction targets in an operation where 91% of costs are personnel.
"We had to figure out areas to cut," Lindsey said. "We still think we are getting net new capacity" through organizational restructuring and service delivery efficiencies, though at reduced overall project management capability.
City Manager Kelly DiMartino acknowledged the challenge but said the level of reductions reflects the difficult choices facing the city given commitments to avoid layoffs while maintaining hiring freezes and other budget constraints.
"If we were not at a place of that list of other reductions that have already been taken, we would be in a different place," DiMartino said. "The reality is this is kind of the level of reductions that we think are the kind of choices that we're facing."
Fort Collins Climate Staffing Exceeds Most Peer Cities
Fort Collins currently employs approximately 17 full-time employees dedicated to climate, sustainability, and related air quality and zero waste programs with an annual operating budget of approximately $11.2 million for fiscal year 2025, according to city budget documents.
That staffing level significantly exceeds Loveland's three sustainability employees and Greeley's 1.5 employees split across emerging climate initiatives. Boulder employs approximately 25 full-time staff with a $19 million annual climate budget, making it the regional leader in climate program investment.
Fort Collins has achieved a 23% reduction in community greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels and maintains a 60% landfill diversion rate, according to the city's 2024 Sustainability Metrics Report. Boulder has achieved a 31% emissions reduction from its 2005 baseline.
The proposed reductions also eliminate a data analyst position in environmental services, with remaining staff expected to absorb those responsibilities.
Council Likely to Approve Digital Equity Fund Transfer
Council members indicated support for using $22,000 from digital equity reserves to restore full funding for the Immigration Legal Defense Fund and Eviction Legal Defense Fund, which had faced $11,000 reductions each under the city manager's proposal.
Staff presented three options for restoring the funding: using digital equity reserves, reducing bridge asset management funding, or further decreasing parks operations. Council members quickly coalesced around the digital equity option as having the least direct community impact.
The digital equity reserve, funded by pilot payments from the city's broadband utility similar to payments other utilities make to the general fund, would see approximately $737,000 drawn down across two years for various purposes including the legal defense funds and grocery tax rebate program.
City council will vote on budget revisions at upcoming meetings, with final approval expected before year-end.