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Town manager presents proposed 2026 budget, highlights public safety, infrastructure and open-space priorities
Summary
Town Manager David Corliss presented the proposed 2026 budget to Castle Rock's Town Council on Sept. 16, emphasizing public-safety hires, transportation projects and a proposed partial reallocation of the commercial use tax to fund open-space acquisitions.
Town Manager David Corliss and staff presented the Town of Castle Rock's proposed 2026 budget on Sept. 16 and highlighted priorities the draft budget would fund if adopted.
Major features of the draft budget
- Public safety: Staffing additions and operational investments to support implementation of the town's multi-year public-safety plan and a proposal to add a commander and a deputy chief position in police instead of two lieutenants. Fire station 156 on Castle Oaks Drive was identified as a proposed construction project, funded from TABOR reserves and other sources.
- Transportation and capital: The proposed budget continues work on the I-25 interchange and associated park-and-ride, pavement maintenance and design work for multiple intersections and arterials. Staff indicated the interchange work is ahead of schedule and that the town will begin a park-and-ride lot required by CDOT.
- Water, sewer and stormwater: Castle Rock Water staff will continue projects that include the Front Street water main project (about $3.5 million) to bring a third feed to downtown, and prioritized rehabilitation of aging sewer and storm infrastructure.
- Open space acquisition funding: The manager proposed reallocating 50% of the town's commercial use tax (a construction-materials sales-tax stream) to a new open-space fund, with the other 50% remaining in economic-development funds. Staff cited an urgent community priority for preserving open space and indicated the reallocation would produce a stable funding source for acquisitions and maintenance.
- Fiscal posture: Corliss said staff are budgeting conservatively, assuming modest sales-tax growth, and that assessed valuation had declined in the most recent property valuation cycle. He described ongoing pressures including health-care and personnel costs, and recommended continuing the town's cautious reserve and capital policies.
Next steps
The budget presentation was an introduction to the draft 2026 plan; staff said it will return for formal adoption hearings in October. Corliss asked council members to send follow-up questions to staff so the administration can present refined figures during budget hearings.
