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Boulder parks officials outline $10 million city shortfall, propose targeted 5% department cuts and hiring freeze
Summary
Parks & Recreation staff detailed a citywide roughly $10 million operating shortfall and presented options including a targeted 5% reduction across their department, hiring freeze impacts, vacancy savings and possible project deferrals.
City of Boulder Parks & Recreation officials told the advisory board that a roughly $10,000,000 shortfall in city general fund operating revenue will require department-level reductions and that the city has announced an immediate hiring freeze.
The department presented a staff-driven plan that begins with identifying an approximate 5% reduction target in the 2025 approved budgets and favors targeted cuts over across‑the‑board reductions. “They would rather see a targeted approach where it's 10 in 1 area and 0% in another,” Jackson, the department’s business services manager, said during the meeting.
Why it matters: the department funds operations, seasonal programming and capital projects that directly affect recreation services, park maintenance and public events across Boulder. Officials said avoiding layoffs is a priority but acknowledged service-level impacts and cancellations are possible if vacancies remain unfilled.
What staff said and proposed - Jackson said the city asked departments to identify reductions after the…
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