Greeley council advances 2027 budget with proposed 11.274-mill tax levy

The Greeley City Council introduced a 2027 budget ordinance on first reading Oct. 20. The proposal would set the property-tax rate at 11.274 mills.

The council set a public hearing and second reading for Nov. 17. The budget process began with a council retreat Feb. 12 and 13, followed by department spending targets distributed March 11. Work sessions ran from May through July, and a Sept. 11 budget retreat preceded the first public hearing Oct. 20.

A staff member presenting the budget put the General Fund’s structural deficit at approximately $18 million when the 2027 process began. The fund has operated at a deficit since 2023, primarily because programs and services expanded and inflation continued while revenues flattened, the presenter said. Department reduction targets were 4%, 17% or 25%, depending on priority, with a principle that no department should be cut more than 30%. Revenue increases accounted for about 18% of the $18 million target, or around $3 million, through new revenue streams and fee increases backed by market data, the presenter said.

“The currently planned museum budget reductions affect more than just public access and programming,” a former city museum employee said, adding that they would also reduce the capacity to document, protect and care for collections. The former employee said the proposal appeared to leave the museum without a dedicated registrarial team and with collections staff effectively halved; the museum manager’s duties could move to a supervisor-level role. The employee asked for a written assessment before final budget adoption of who would perform required duties, the expected supervisory workload and gaps in professional capacity, along with changes to address critical gaps. A council representative said staff would examine the concerns and bring information back in November.

The recommended budget includes 1,195.25 full-time-equivalent positions, down 67.75 from 2026. That would put staffing roughly at its 2024 level, the presenter said. The proposal includes $1 million in one-time funding for homeless shelter operations and non-base-building compensation payments for staff in 2027. Another $150,000 was restored for museum and open space operations after feedback, the presenter said.

The proposed General Fund budget has $153.9 million in revenue against $158.1 million in spending, leaving a $4.2 million gap. The deficit includes $3 million in annual one-time expenses and approximately $1.2 million for unmet department targets, the presenter said. The presenter expects the structural changes to bring the budget into balance within one or two years, but said the city must monitor its finances and limit new ongoing General Fund expenses.