Alamosa council adopts $2026 spending plan after public hearing
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Summary
On second reading the Alamosa City Council unanimously approved Ordinance 21-20 25, setting the cityannual appropriations for fiscal year 2026; staff said revenue is projected just under $42 million while planned expenditures total about $47 million, with capital projects and grants funding many large items.
The Alamosa City Council on second reading approved Ordinance 21-20 25, making annual appropriations for fiscal year 2026 after a public hearing and staff presentation. The motion passed unanimously.
City finance staff told the council that total revenue for 2026 is estimated at just under $42,000,000, with the general fund representing roughly $20,600,000. Planned expenditures across all funds are about $47,000,000, staff said, reflecting a gap covered largely by planned capital spending and grant-backed projects.
"From a layperson perspective, total revenue we're estimating just shy of 42,000,000," the finance presenter summarized during the hearing. Staff highlighted that the general fund pays for police, fire, parks maintenance, municipal court and other services and that the city relies on a mix of sales tax (approximately 2% collected by the state for the city), a 1.2% local sales tax, and about $650,000 in property taxes.
The presentation noted the city's enterprise funds (utilities) expect about $9,600,000 in revenue and $11,600,000 in expenditures in 2026, and that the street trust fund (supported by a half-cent sales tax) will fund several reconstruction and design projects; that half-cent tax is scheduled to sunset in 2029. Finance staff said the capital improvement program includes more than $12,000,000 in projects next year, including street reconstruction, lift-station work and arsenic treatment improvements at the water plant.
Councilors asked clarifying questions during the hearing but took no amendments to the ordinance. After public testimony was closed, Councilor Beehild moved to adopt the ordinance on second reading; the motion passed on a unanimous roll call vote. City Clerk Dominguez recorded the vote as carried unanimously.
The ordinance becomes the city's spending framework for FY2026 and lists multiple capital projects and grant-funded initiatives; staff said many larger projects are driven by grants rather than the operating budget. The council set no additional follow-up during the meeting.