Brian Lewandowski, executive director of the Business Research Division at the University of Colorado Boulder, told Greeley City Council on July 15 that while national economic indicators show risks, Weld County and the Greeley area retain several strengths.

Lewandowski said the main threats are tariff-related import surges, federal policy shifts and continued weakness in office and commercial real estate, while noting the U.S. job market and local labor-force measures remain resilient. He told council the nation could still post about 1.5% real GDP growth in 2025 but the year will likely end softly after a stronger second quarter.

“The job market has been a bright spot,” Lewandowski said, noting an average of roughly 130,000 jobs added monthly through mid‑2025 and continuing real wage gains over the past two years.

Why it matters: Lewandowski’s assessment frames the revenue assumptions city staff are using for the 2026 budget. Slower sales-tax and construction activity identified in the talk are among the top items staff flagged as downward pressure on the city’s general fund.

Lewandowski showed how firms’ behavior in advance of tariff policy tightened inventories and boosted imports, contributing to a historically large drag from net exports during the first quarter. He also said Colorado’s inflation relief is coming mainly through slower housing-price growth and rent declines in parts of the state.

Locally, Lewandowski said Weld County is outperforming the state and nation on population growth and youth share. He highlighted that Weld’s median age is lower than other Colorado counties, the county has a relatively robust construction and nonresidential building pipeline compared with the statewide trend, and the Greeley metropolitan area’s employment growth has been above the statewide rate in recent months.

Lewandowski flagged long‑term opportunities in professional and business services, data centers, bioscience and tourism for Northern Colorado, while noting threats including uncertain tariff policy and potential federal changes that could shift the business climate.

“Colorado has enjoyed a long period of competitiveness,” he said, adding that the state’s rankings have slipped slightly but remain strong compared with many peers.

Ending: Council members asked no substantive questions after the presentation; Kaelin, the interim budget and policy director, moved the meeting into the staff financial review that followed Lewandowski’s remarks.