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Commissioners Take Steps to Avoid Budget Shortfall in Future Years

• The Boulder County Commissioners have decided how public money will be spent in 2026.
• Over the last eight months, the commissioners spoke to staff, other elected officials, and county residents to figure how to spend the money.
• To receive this information in another language, please contact Gloria Handyside at 303-441-1622 or email ghandyside@bouldercounty.gov.

Boulder County, Colo. – At a public meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9, the Boulder County Commissioners adopted a budget of $745 million for 2026. The public meeting was the culmination of the county’s budget process, which included a public comment period and public hearing.

Boulder County’s budget covers all departments and elected offices, including the Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, the Clerk and Recorder’s Office, the Treasurer’s Office, the Coroner’s Office, the Assessor’s Office, and the Boulder County Surveyor. The budget funds services, programs, 74,000 acres of land and facilities management, and infrastructure across the county, including 629 miles of roads, the Boulder County Jail, and the Joe Pelle Center.

During the eight-month budget process, the commissioners worked with the county’s budget and finance team, elected officials, and department heads to create a budget that balances the needs of the community, the impacts of inflation, and uncertainty around future revenue from property taxes and sales and use taxes.

The guiding principle of the budget process was Good Governance to ensure that the county balances its future revenue with its future spending.

Based on projected savings for 2026 and plans to continue to reduce expenditures in 2027 and 2028, Boulder County is on track to avoid a budget shortfall in future years.

During the Dec. 9 presentation to the commissioners, Budget Officer Emily Beam and County Administrator Jana Petersen provided an overview of the key aspects and decisions reflected in the adopted budget. The budget resolutions and a recording are available on the county’s website.

Structural Budget Deficit

Through the budget process, the county’s Office of Financial Management projected that county spending would soon outpace county revenue if reductions were not made. To address this structural deficit, a total of $30 million – $40 million in savings are required over the next three years: 2026, 2027, and 2028.

To find the required savings, the commissioners announced in September the difficult decision to eliminate vacant positions and cut jobs for some existing employees. Through these cuts, $7.625 million in savings were made.

On Dec. 9, the commissioners directed a further $5.57 million in budget reductions, including job cuts, in the first quarter of 2026 to find ongoing savings. County leaders will continue to take a thoughtful approach to minimize disruptions to staff and community members.

2026 Budget Highlights

• • Total Budget Expenditure for 2026: $745,186,611
    Includes both approved reductions and approved decision requests.

  • Approved Decision Requests: $57,196,257
    Notable one-time investment categories include:

    • $10.9M for capital acquisitions, projects, and maintenance on parks and open space properties

    • $9.2M for capital projects and maintenance of county roads and bridges

    • $8.5M for capital projects and maintenance of county buildings and facilities

    • $2M for Information Technology projects

    • $2M in one-time funding for additional Community Partner Grants

  • Total Budgeted Revenues: $654,366,495

    • $277M from property tax (42%)

    • $118M from sales and use tax (18%)

    • $101M from intergovernmental revenues (16%)

    • $158M from other revenue (24%)

  • Total Use of Fund Balance (reserves): $90,820,116

    • $42M from the General Fund

    • $23M from the Parks and Open Space Fund

    • $15M from the Dedicated Resources Fund

Visit the county’s Budget website to find out more about the county’s budget.

The Budget Book is an online resource where you can explore the county’s different funds and spending for current and previous years. The online Budget Book will be updated with the adopted 2026 budget in the first quarter of 2026.

Throughout the year, amendments to the budget will be considered in quarterly public hearings. Sign up to receive the Commissioners’ Advance Agenda to receive information about the hearings.

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Boulder County Commissioners

Media Contact

Gloria Handyside 303-441-1622

General Queries

commissioners@bouldercounty.gov

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