Estes Park board takes up $740,276 budget increase, mostly offset by revenue

The Estes Park Town Board took up a $740,276 increase to the town's 2026 budget on Oct. 27, most of it offset by new revenue, including grants and added revenue from a contract.

The amendment raises the general fund by $488,000, the community reinvestment fund by $257,000 and the parking service fund by around $1,000. Power and communications adds $44,000, almost $45,000, for an IT allocation correction, while water-fund expenditures fall by $51,000. The general fund increase includes a LEAF grant, the Law Enforcement Assistance Funded State Grant, with grant revenue providing a 100% match.

Other money behind the increase includes a $150,000 rise for the general fund's Safety Built contract, with a corresponding revenue increase. The town keeps 10% of revenue collections. In the community reinvestment fund, the town has received $192,000 from the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, all of it for the wildlife safety exhibit project at the visitor center. The town also anticipates a $65,000 matching grant from the Friends of the Museum, which, with savings from another museum capital project, will help fund a museum gallery exhibit.

The town's finance director said the town periodically amends its budget to recognize grant awards, revise project estimates, close completed projects and address operational needs. Part of this amendment fixes a cost error. A misallocation of internal-services or IT expenses was left out of the formula used to determine IT revenue and fund-balance use, a speaker said, and the town found it after its second budget amendment and set aside fund balance to cover the gap. The water fund has an IT allocation of around $19,000, but closing projects with budget savings produces a net decrease in expenditures that will flow through to its fund balance.

Under the proposed changes, the general fund's ending balance would be 31.3%, or 38.6% combined with the community reinvestment fund. The general fund must hold 90 days or 25% of operating expenditures. The finance director said all major funds are projected to meet or exceed the reserve requirements set by Finance Policy 660, and that ongoing expenditures do not exceed revenues and available fund balance. "This budget amendment keeps the town in compliance with all of our budget requirements and avoids creating ongoing expenditures that exceed our revenues," the finance director said.

No one offered public comment. The board then moved to a vote on the resolution. Afterward, a speaker praised the explanation and thanked Zimmerman. "It's a testament to how clear you make it for where things are going and why," the speaker said.