Wheat Ridge council adopts $2026 budget, adds $35,000 for cultural training and community-garden planning

The Wheat Ridge City Council on Oct. 27 adopted the city's 2026 budget and approved a $35,000 amendment to fund cultural-awareness training and strategic planning for city community gardens.

The adopted 2026 budget, presented by City Manager Patrick Goff, shows about $126,000,000 in available funding across the general fund, special funds and capital funds, with just over $101,000,000 appropriated and an ending balance forecast of roughly $24,000,000. Goff told council the overall budget grew about $5,800,000, or roughly 6 percent, from the adopted 2025 budget and that general-fund revenues are expected to be about $51,000,000 with proposed general-fund expenditures just over $53,000,000.

Why this matters: the budget funds core city services, major capital projects and community partners while responding to council's stated strategic priorities. The late $35,000 amendment was intended to support reconciliation and garden programming after recent public attention to conflict at Happiness Gardens and to provide training and planning that advocates said would help repair community relationships.

The amendment was proposed by Councilor Rachel Holtein and seconded by Councilor…