Greeley manager proposes three-year, 25% maintenance and replacement funding cut

Greeley City Manager Brian McBroom’s proposed 2027 budget would cut annual maintenance and replacement funding by 25% for three years. A public hearing is scheduled for Nov. 17.

The proposed capital plan prioritizes the airport, MERGE interchanges, downtown utilities and financing for West Greeley and the Civic Campus. It would defer or phase heating and cooling equipment replacements, facility upgrades, irrigation system replacements, playground replacements and a water and sewer facility campus. The 2027 project list still includes an Allen Park playground, recreation center pool deck work and a 12th Street stormwater and waterline project.

A staff member said the city’s revenues and expenses began drifting apart in 2022, and the gap worsened as the city approached the 2026 budget. Staff also cited growing demand for services, inflation and grants ending in late 2024 and 2025. Another staff member said spending would keep outpacing revenue without intervention, driving reserves below the required 16.7% level.

Councilmember Johnny Olson said the city was still deficit spending. “We're not fully, completely cleaned up from our budget deficit,” Olson said. A staff member estimated that about $4.5 million of 2027 General Fund spending is for one-time expenses that would continue to draw down the fund balance. The ongoing operating budget is balanced because operating revenue matches ongoing expenses, another staff member said.

Council Member Ryan Roth said constituents were concerned about parks and recreation, including museums and youth soccer. The $150,000 staffing addition seemed “such a small drop in the bucket” amid those concerns, Roth said, urging the city to keep looking for ways to fund the affected departments. The budget includes $150,000 for part-time and seasonal museum and open space staffing, plus $1 million for the homeless shelter. Public comments over recent months shaped the recommendation to put money back into parks and recreation, a staff member said.

The proposed budget would reduce 72.75 full-time-equivalent positions funded fully or partly by the General Fund, including 61.95 fully funded and 10.80 partly funded positions. Because five positions would move to other funds rather than be eliminated, the net reduction across all funds would be 67.75 positions. A staff member said departments were still adjusting to the voluntary separations, with no significant service problems reported to the member so far. The city was still tracking the effects and could soon give the council initial information about service impacts, the member said.