Denver's $4.8 Billion Proposed 2027 Budget Heads to Hearings With 911 Hiring and Denver Health Funding
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston's proposed 2027 budget for the City and County of Denver, Colorado, totals about $4.8 billion across appropriated funds, excluding transfers and duplicate amounts, and the City Council convened public hearings on the proposal on October 26-27. The Finance Department's October 26 staff report and the mayor's formal response to Council budget requests show the refined proposal would fund hiring to fill 10 vacant 911 positions, add three 311 call-takers, two park rangers and three inspectors, and provide about $2 million in additional support for Denver Health.
Under the mayor's response, the 911 funding comes from projected surcharge revenue in the 911 Trust Fund and fills existing vacancies rather than creating new jobs. The three 311 call-taker positions are estimated at $236,000 and the two park ranger positions at $173,300; the plan also proposes two public-health and environment inspectors, estimated at $230,000, for residential health, food-safety and cannabis inspections, plus a zoning inspection specialist estimated at $109,200. The Denver Health support includes $1.4 million for energy-system modifications, restored funding for an Emergency Service Patrol van, a contribution toward a 2% merit increase for staff covered by the city's operating agreement, and support for the sexual assault nurse examiner program. The budget also provides city employees a 2% merit increase.
The city's budget page says 2027 General Fund revenue is expected to total $1.68 billion, a 1.1% increase over 2026, driven by strengthening sales tax revenue offsetting reductions in other sources. In his October 16 letter to the Council, Johnston said the budget prioritizes core city services and bolsters reserves, and addresses many of the Council's highest-priority items, including the $2 million Denver Health increase and $2 million for the Business Impact Opportunity (BIO) program supporting businesses affected by city construction.
The Finance Department's timeline gives the Council an opportunity to amend the proposal on November 2 and sets November 9 as the adoption deadline. The Council's October 9 recommendations letter also raised concerns including youth-violence intervention capacity and communication between the Office of the Independent Monitor and the Department of Safety.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 丹佛市县大楼（资料图）。Swarabakti 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The Denver City and County Building (file photo). Photo by Swarabakti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
