Five more budget amendments land before Monday, led by a $5.5 million push to restore rental aid

Denver City Council members filed five more amendments to Mayor Mike Johnston's 2027 budget on Friday afternoon, Oct. 30. That brings the list for Monday's amendment night to 15, up from the 10 we described Thursday.

Why it matters: the largest new one would put $5.5 million back into Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance, or TRUA, the city's main eviction-prevention program. That is the exact amount the Council asked the mayor to add in October and he declined. If it passes Monday, Johnston would have to accept it or veto it.

The five new amendments

All details come from the amendment documents posted in the city's legislative system.

Rental assistance, $5.5 million. 26-1667, from Council President Pro Tem Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez and members Shontel Lewis and Flor Alvidrez, would raise the General Fund transfer to the city's Affordable Housing fund by $5.5 million for "additional rental assistance through the TRUA program" (text). To pay for it, the amendment trims services-and-supplies budgets across city government. The largest cuts: $1,347,156 from the Department of Public Safety, $918,450 from Housing Stability itself, $1,377,411 from Technology Services in two lines, $607,020 from General Services and $545,352 from Public Health and Environment. Six smaller cuts make up the rest. We added the 12 cuts; they total exactly $5.5 million.

Rental assistance for DPS families, $400,000. 26-1670, from Council President Diana Romero Campbell with Alvidrez and Darrell Watson, would move $400,000 from Technology Services to the same housing assistance line. Its stated purpose is to "continue to fund case management and TRUA assistance to DPS families through the end of the school year" (text). The two TRUA amendments are separate; nothing in either says one replaces the other.

Crime lab staffing, $689,923. 26-1668, from Gonzales-Gutierrez, Lewis and Alvidrez, would shift money inside the Police Department, from services and supplies to personnel in Police Investigations, "to fund vacant FTE in the Police Department Crime Laboratory" (text).

Jail case managers, $258,975. 26-1669, from Gonzales-Gutierrez and Lewis, would move personnel money from the Department of Public Safety's central budget to the Sheriff Department's jail operations to fund case manager positions (text).

Youth violence prevention data, $200,000. 26-1671, from Lewis, Council member Jamie Torres and Gonzales-Gutierrez, would add $200,000 to the Office of Children's Affairs' Youth Activities Program so the Office of Social Equity and Innovation can "fund the standup of data collection and architecture for youth violence prevention" (text). The amendment does not list a cut elsewhere.

The rental aid fight so far

The Council's October budget letter asked Johnston for $5.5 million more for TRUA, and he declined, Colorado Politics reported. His administration has committed $4.5 million, which it says covers the program through June, and Johnston said the city would wait for a Harvard University evaluation before deciding on funding for the rest of 2027, according to that report. People who had been helped by the program urged the Council not to cut it at the Oct. 26 budget hearing. Denverite also covered the debate.

What our records add: similar votes last year

No one filed a TRUA amendment to the 2026 budget. But three of last year's votes on Nov. 3, 2025 (meeting) touch the same ground:

• Sheriff staffing failed 6-7. Lewis's 25-1758 drew yes votes from Alvidrez, Stacie Gilmore, Gonzales-Gutierrez, Paul Kashmann, Lewis and Sarah Parady. Kevin Flynn, Chris Hinds, Romero Campbell, Amanda Sawyer, Torres, Watson and Amanda Sandoval voted no (roll call).
• A sheriff crisis response team passed 7-6. Lewis's 25-1759 passed when Hinds joined those six (roll call).
• Community violence grants passed 13-0. 25-1779, from Torres, Gonzales-Gutierrez, Lewis and Parady, was unanimous (roll call).

Parady has since resigned. Of the six members who backed last year's sheriff staffing amendment, five are still on the Council. With 12 members seated, an amendment needs seven yes votes if everyone votes.

What's next

• Monday, Nov. 2, 3:30 p.m.: All 15 amendments are on the Council agenda. Sponsors can withdraw amendments before a vote, as several did last year.
• By noon Nov. 6: Johnston accepts or vetoes each amendment that passes.
• Nov. 9: The Council can override a veto with nine votes and must adopt the budget, 26-1547.