Greeley budget staff say 2027 cuts identified so far total $16.8 million, leaving $1.3 million gap

Greeley city staff told the City Council on July 14 that the 2027 budget process has identified about $16.8 million in reductions so far, or 92% of the city’s target, leaving roughly a $1.3 million gap still to be resolved before a recommended budget goes to council in September. Budget and Policy Director Nathan Mosley said staff had already reviewed $11.8 million in proposed reductions in earlier work sessions and would cover another $5.1 million that night, making the July 14 meeting the last department-focused operational budget update before staff begins assembling the city manager’s recommended budget.

Mosley said the city started the work-session series in May and had shared 15 departmental presentations by the time of the July 14 meeting. He said the unresolved gap would be a focus of the Sept. 11 budget retreat, after staff delivers the recommended 2027 budget to council on Sept. 4. A Capital Improvement Program update is scheduled for July 28.

Before Mosley’s presentation, an unidentified speaker described the budget effort as a “pressure cooker” driven by major city issues and said staff had been directed to build 2027 budgets that structurally correct the deficit. The speaker said the city has also begun reducing spending before adoption of the 2027 budget rather than waiting for formal council action later in the year, calling that an unusual step taken because of the size of the shortfall. The speaker also said the department presentations were proposals that would inform the city manager’s recommended budget and that some decisions may need adjustment after adoption.

The broader budget materials presented that night showed several areas where tradeoffs remain. In the portfolios under review July 14, Kimberly Southern’s internal-services group said it had a $3.15 million reduction target and identified $3.35 million in savings, exceeding its goal. Those proposals included cuts in the City Clerk’s Office, High Performance Government, Human Resources and Information Technology, with staffing reductions, lower operating budgets and some fee increases. Bret Naber’s Public Works portfolio, by contrast, remained short of its target, with about $1.76 million in identified reductions against a roughly $2.09 million goal.

The budget packet also showed unresolved pressure points outside the general-fund department cuts. Public Works still had a gap to close, while earlier reviews left shortfalls in Culture, Parks and Recreation, Municipal Court, the Office of Emergency Management and Police. In utility funds, staff proposed holding 2027 water and sewer rate increases to 4.5% by delaying capital projects and reprioritizing spending, while stormwater scenarios showed that keeping rate increases lower would push some flood-mitigation and rehabilitation work further into the future.

Mayor Dale Hall asked if there were any questions for Mosley after the overview, and Ward III Council Member Johnny Olson praised one of the presentation slides, saying, “somebody actually listened.” Mosley said staff would spend late July and August developing the recommended budget, which is expected to move into formal adoption in October or November after the September retreat.