City Council

Monday, November 3, 2025, 3:30 p.m. (Denver time), Cathy Reynolds City Council Chamber 1437 Bannock Street, Room 450

Video of the meeting

On the agenda

Roll-call votes

Documents

Summary

The Denver City Council met on November 3, 2025, to consider 26 amendments to the Mayor's proposed 2026 budget, which members said was prepared under severe revenue constraints. The Council passed an amendment restoring $379,038 to the independently elected Auditor's office from contingency (13-0), funding for out-of-school-time youth programming from the Broncos fund (13-0), a transfer to upgrade Wi-Fi in STAR vans (13-0), added STAR funding (10 ayes), Safe Routes to School capital funding from CIP contingency (13-0), a $3 million Broncos-fund community youth-safety grants program (13-0), sheriff mental health positions (7-6), clerk and recorder election funding from unassigned fund balance (13-0), and a contingency transfer for the Denver Day Works program (13-0). Amendments moving large sums from police recruit and services-and-supplies budgets to family homelessness sheltering failed, as did amendments funding Denver Basic Income, the Denver Table food consortium, and a Broadway bike lane design. The meeting also included adoption of routine resolutions, including the Civic Center Next 100 construction contract, and introduction of late-filed council resolutions related to SNAP-related food contracts.

Transcript

0:05 a Denver, it's time for the

0:08 weekly general session of your

0:13 Denver City Tonight's coverage

0:14 of Denver City Council starts

0:16 now.

0:32 And that's to right?

0:35 the Is it time to start?

0:38 And every city council that

0:39 PRESIDENT Obama.

0:39 All right. Good afternoon,

0:41 everyone. And thank you for

0:42 taking the time to join us for

0:46 Denver City Council's meeting

0:50 today is Monday, NOVEMBER 3rd,

0:52 2025. Happy NOVEMBER. Thing is

0:52 take a moment personal

0:53 privilege and encourage

0:54 everyone to turn in their

0:54 ballots as tomorrow is

0:58 Election Day. Because we do

1:01 not get health council

1:01 announcements in town. We go

1:03 over the numerous budget

1:03 amendment. So taking a moment

1:07 personal privilege there.

1:08 Tonight's meeting is being

1:11 interred put it into Spanish.

1:12 Sam, our Jazz mean would you

1:14 please introduce yourself and

1:15 that our viewers know how to

1:16 enable transition on their

1:20 devices.

1:21 of course. Thank you for

1:22 having Hello, everyone. My

1:25 name is Sam Guzman. With the

1:26 coc joining you virtually

1:33 through zoom. Along with my

1:34 calling just mean will be

1:34 interpreting today's meeting

1:37 into Spanish.

1:38 He's allowed me a quick

1:39 minute to give instructions in

1:40 Spanish on how to access to

1:43 protection. When not as simple

1:47 as members. Some coming to

1:48 come clean and just means to

1:48 them put on the lettering on

1:51 the is soon. Can also cause be

1:55 plan meant room. Most

1:56 consistent thing when he con

1:59 available this young. O p

2:00 missile Tony gaze selection

2:01 and Shawn, chart in the spin

2:05 on. Also throws present

2:05 settlement to your style

2:07 tighten that coming up,

2:08 followed was cast home. That's

2:13 11. You put that out she sent

2:14 the couple only homeless for

2:17 time. Right. And this point,

2:18 No, is of the essence. And

2:21 thank you very much, Sam.

2:28 Welcome to the Denver City

2:28 Council meeting of Monday,

2:31 NOVEMBER. 3rd, 2025 council

2:32 members please join

2:33 Councilmember Hines in the

2:39 Pledge of Allegiance.

2:42 by the United States for

2:44 and to the Republic for which

2:48 it nation under GOD,

2:49 indivisible, with liberty and

2:57 justice for all.

2:57 Council members please join

3:01 comes behind as they lead us

3:01 in the Denver City Council

3:04 Landing Knowledge

3:05 The Denver City Council

3:06 honors and acknowledges that

3:09 the land on which we reside is

3:10 the traditional territory of

3:12 the Cheyenne and Arapaho

3:14 peoples. We also recognize

3:15 that 51 contemporary tribal

3:16 nations that are historically

3:17 tied to the lands that make up

3:19 the state of Colorado. We

3:23 honor holders past present and

3:24 future. And those who have

3:26 started this land threat

3:29 generations. We also recognize

3:30 that government academic and

3:32 cultural institutions were

3:34 founded upon and continue to

3:36 enact exclusions racers of

3:38 indigenous peoples made this

3:40 acknowledgment demonstrate

3:41 that commitment to working to

3:42 dismantle ongoing legacies of

3:46 oppression. Hannon equities

3:47 and recognize the current and

3:47 future contributions of

3:48 indigenous communities in

3:52 Denver

3:53 thank you, Councilmember

3:57 MADAM Secretary Roll Call.

4:01 Council members Gilmore. I'll

4:11 be Flynn comes get for Lewis

4:13 present parity care for

4:17 American pull soil here taught

4:19 us Watson. Members is on the

4:23 phone 13 members present.

4:24 There are 13 members present

4:31 council has a car. All We have

4:32 26 amendments being offered to

4:34 the mayor's proposed budget

4:35 this afternoon.

4:37 This is a reminder that the

4:37 amendments MAY not be

4:40 considered in numerical order

4:42 as they are posted online.

4:46 Please use the agenda to refer

4:48 to the amendments. So what

4:49 we're doing is we're going to

4:51 go by that the title. So, for

4:55 instance, 25 17 56. So they're

4:55 all out of order as they were

5:00 posted the agenda.

5:01 Councilmember tours, Lewis

5:03 parity and Gonzales could see

5:07 it you trust a mention?

5:07 council PRESIDENT, I move

5:09 that the mayor's proposed 2026

5:11 budget be amended in the

5:14 following particulars on Page

5:14 3.50, under the agency title

5:16 Department of Finance to

5:18 degree that it's a going blind

5:22 in the zeroes in the section

5:23 titled Department. But I have

5:25 to read that, John. I think

5:32 so. Number he have do for

5:36 250-0000.

5:39 Yes, In the section title

5:40 Department budget and the

5:41 section titled other General

5:42 funds.

5:44 In the line to title our

5:45 contingency reduced to 2026

5:53 propose column by $379,038 on

5:56 Page 4.46 Under the agency

5:59 titled Auditor, 0, 3, 0, 1, 0,

6:02 0, 0, in the section titled

6:03 Budget Detail in the section

6:06 titled Expenditures Activity

6:06 in the Line title, personal

6:11 services increase the 2026

6:17 Post column by 3 79 $38. Make

6:18 other adjustments to comments,

6:18 tables, schedules and figures

6:22 in the mayor's proposed 2026

6:22 budget as MAY be required to

6:24 reflect the actions directed

6:28 in this amendment.

6:29 Thank you. It has been

6:32 moved and seconded questions

6:33 are comments by members and

6:35 remember colleagues. This is

6:38 that questions and comments.

6:48 Comments by then. Comments by

6:49 sirs and then there questions

6:52 and comments by other members

6:53 of council. So just trying to

6:57 get the flow. So questions or

6:58 comments by members of Council

6:59 Councilmember Torres lose

7:01 parity and Gonzales could get

7:02 I'll start MADAM PRESIDENT.

7:04 This amendment proposes

7:06 transferring contingency funds

7:08 to the auditors office. The

7:09 auditors returning over

7:13 $500,000 in 2025. And we'll

7:14 plan to and are spending 2026

7:18 by the same amount. $500,000

7:20 through keeping vacant

7:21 positions vacant but needs its

7:24 home base budget allocated to

7:26 ensure flexibility. This will

7:28 not result. This will result

7:29 in a net 0 effect on fund

7:32 balance at the end of 2026. So

7:34 long as the auditor does not

7:37 spend this additional amount.

7:40 We reference $500,000 because

7:41 that was the original amount

7:45 we were seeking in order to

7:48 make the auditors base budget

7:50 hole again, the mayor did

7:54 offer up $120,000 to begin the

7:57 work or find the worker

7:58 Justice Fund. So we've

7:58 subtracted that, which is why

8:03 the transfer is for $379,000.

8:04 Got it. Thank you.

8:06 Councilmember Flynn. And

8:09 federal prison time.

8:13 COUNCILMAN Do you have any

8:16 explanation for how we if we

8:18 take this out of the 2%

8:20 contingency, how does that

8:22 effect appropriated? Then we

8:23 need to add to the we handle

8:27 that.

8:28 So our thinking was that

8:30 they would be reserving the

8:31 same amount that we are moving

8:34 or actually even more than we

8:35 are moving from contingency or

8:37 allowing the spend of that

8:40 amount and they're going to

8:42 hold 7 positions vacant, which

8:43 will result in more than

8:46 500,000 in savings next year.

8:49 So as long as they don't hire

8:50 those decisions, they will

8:50 save that and return it back

8:54 to the cities. General Fund in

8:55 contingency fund at the end of

8:57 next year. So next year? Yes,

8:58 what we do at the beginning of

9:01 of 26 because we have to

9:04 continuance at least 2%.

9:05 And I understand that it

9:06 greater if there is greater

9:09 than the 2% contingency that's

9:12 being held for their sheriff's

9:12 deputies, collective

9:13 bargaining agreement, grant to

9:16 fund out of that. Do. You want

9:17 to ask someone from the

9:17 Department of Finance comes

9:20 with Sure. Have a whole

9:22 plethora of people are up as

9:24 answer questions who could

9:25 ensure that just a is

9:26 Stephanie clearly wants to

9:32 knew him from the auditors

9:32 come up here. And then if you

9:36 office needs to assist. The I

9:36 guess it would be a very small

9:43 amount. 2% of 3. What, 3.79

9:46 7600 $100

9:48 usually as you know,

9:49 Councilmen contingency the

9:50 other way around, right? We

9:51 typically don't provide

9:53 funding and see if they spend

9:57 it. Usually monitor someone's

9:58 budget. And if need it, we

10:01 come to you when to pull it

10:02 out of contention 2026 has a

10:02 little something PRESIDENT.

10:04 Okay. Thank you. Thank you,

10:07 MADAM PRESIDENT, thank you.

10:10 Council member of either Thank

10:11 you. Council PRESIDENT Come. I

10:12 have a question for the

10:13 auditors office, the CHAIRMAN

10:15 Of from the state. Can you

10:16 just confirm the understand

10:20 that you plan to have?

10:21 Yes, thank you. Council

10:22 member the dress, Matthew

10:23 Fritz now are here from the

10:25 Denver Auditor's Office. We

10:27 will buy are conservative

10:29 estimates return at least

10:30 $500,000 to the contingency

10:33 fund this year. And then as

10:34 Councilmember Torres

10:36 explained, we will also under

10:38 spent by at least that amount

10:40 next year. And so as we return

10:41 money this year, my

10:42 understanding from the

10:43 Department of Finance says it

10:45 goes into the contingency

10:47 fund. This amendment, as I

10:48 understand it will draw down

10:50 from the contingency fund buy

10:52 less and we will return this

10:53 year and then we will also

10:56 return more next year.

10:57 Wonderful. Thank you so much.

10:57 Thank you. Council PRESIDENT.

10:59 I think we have a clarifying

11:00 comment by the Department of

11:03 Finance. I think you got it.

11:05 Almost 100 contract. It

11:07 would not laps to the

11:08 contingency fund it with laps

11:13 to the fund so close not

11:13 quite.

11:14 can I follow up on that

11:17 question. So when funds are

11:20 going into the fund to balance

11:21 our. How are those Allen

11:24 reallocated into the next

11:24 year? Them?

11:25 So they are evaluate is

11:27 part of the annual budget some

11:29 of the budget that you're

11:31 projecting for 2026 is savings

11:36 from 2025. Is what we're So

11:39 for 2025, we believe that

11:40 expenditures will be more than

11:40 revenues, which means that

11:41 we're dipping into the fund

11:44 balance in 2025.

11:45 For 2026, we're hoping to

11:48 add money to the fund balance

11:49 reserves and that's partially

11:51 because of spending less than

11:52 we would be bringing in

11:55 revenue in the proposed

11:55 budget.

11:56 So it sounds like we're

11:57 already spending that other

11:58 and are spent in this year is

12:01 what you're saying and your

12:04 budget. Not in the auditors

12:05 budget, correct? Are we

12:09 spending 2025 under spend in

12:10 2026. 25 because you're saying

12:12 you're going to overspend.

12:14 So every year we we bring

12:17 expenditure, city council,

12:17 in revenues and we appropriate

12:18 appropriate expenditures out

12:21 of general fund.

12:25 In 2025, the level of

12:25 authorized expenditures, the

12:27 level of projected

12:28 expenditures are higher than

12:29 the amount of revenue that we

12:30 project that will bring in

12:33 this year. So in the current

12:38 year in order to spend at that

12:39 level, we're spending out of

12:40 some of the fun daughters.

12:41 Thank to the auditor's office.

12:45 Want to say anything Forgive

12:47 me if I'm MISS Understanding

12:48 your question. I think partly

12:50 what you're seeking to

12:52 understand is whether the

12:52 expected under fun from our

12:55 budget this year has been

12:56 factored into next year left

12:57 can correct me. But I believe

12:58 that's not the case. It was

12:59 only.

13:00 a couple of weeks ago that

13:01 we shared with the

13:05 administration. What we

13:06 expected that under spent to

13:07 okay. Great. That does answer

13:07 my question. Thank you. Thank

13:08 you. Thank you. Council

13:13 PRESIDENT, you're welcome.

13:14 COUNCILMAN Sawyer.

13:15 Thank you. MADAM PRESIDENT

13:16 just wanted to say thank you

13:18 to the sponsors for this one.

13:19 I do hear the Department of

13:20 Finance and that it isn't

13:25 PRESIDENT. Sort of for us

13:27 spend out of the contingency

13:29 right now. And as the budget

13:31 is being created, I also just

13:32 want to acknowledge that

13:33 there's a lot of unprecedented

13:37 things going on this year with

13:39 the budget. And I think it is

13:42 incredibly important that.

13:43 Our

13:44 and independent agencies

13:48 receive the respect that they

13:50 deserve and as independently

13:51 elected officials and city and

13:55 county of Denver. And I find

13:57 disturbing the mayor's office

13:59 does not has not shown that

14:00 respect to the independent

14:01 alike, up independently

14:04 elected officials of Denver in

14:06 this budget. And so while this

14:08 MAY be an PRESIDENT, I 100% be

14:08 supportive of an really

14:10 appreciate the council

14:11 sponsors finding a way to get

14:15 this done to ensure that the

14:15 independence of our

14:17 independently elected

14:19 officials remains because that

14:22 is what independently elected

14:24 officials were elected to do.

14:25 And the strong mayor form of

14:26 government might be a strong

14:27 mayor form of government. But

14:29 it is not a king numb. So I

14:31 will be yes. Thank you. Thank

14:34 you. Councilmember election.

14:35 Thank Council PRESIDENT For

14:36 the auditor's office. Got a

14:39 question for you. Can you

14:44 explain a kind break down the

14:45 wife or the meeting? All of

14:47 the additional funds this

14:49 year? If you are expecting to

14:51 return funds back to the

14:52 general fund next year, what

14:53 would be the size because it

14:56 something got missed. That's

14:59 not normally done. Process is

15:02 for the Department of Finance

15:02 to identify what the year and

15:05 spend down is if there is

15:07 additional funds needed for

15:11 the next year during APRIL,

15:12 whatever the timeline as they

15:13 identify gaps and to provide

15:16 those funds at that time, walk

15:16 me through the why this would

15:17 be necessary. Now is set

15:20 through the regular process.

15:21 Thank you for the question and

15:24 the opportunity. Councilmember

15:24 Watson.

15:27 emphasize what Councilmember

15:27 I want to follow up on and

15:28 Sawyer just spoke to, which is

15:29 how important the independence

15:33 of the auditor's office is.

15:33 And that includes a

15:35 significant degree of autonomy

15:39 over our budget, which

15:40 shouldn't be unilaterally cut.

15:43 That is an unfortunate way to

15:44 impede the independence of an

15:45 agency dedicated to government

15:46 transparency and enforcing the

15:52 rights Denver's workers I

15:56 think I hear in your question

15:58 whether the auditor's office

15:59 is over funded. If we're

16:00 returning half a million next

16:01 year and can return a half a

16:03 million or this year and to