Denver councilmembers outline budget priorities ahead of May workshop, including $3M community safety grant pilot

Denver City Council members used a biweekly Budget & Policy Committee meeting on April 27 to present a broad slate of budget priorities ahead of a May 14 workshop, highlighting a proposed $3 million Community Led Safety Grant pilot and multiple calls to restore basic city services.

Luke Palmisano, senior policy analyst for the council, opened the session and explained the process for members to present new proposals: “Each council member will have the same amount of time, 8 minutes,” Palmisano said, and asked members to reserve questions until the end or discuss details offline.

Councilmember Kevin Flynn urged the committee to use projected revenues to “restore those basic services,” citing recent disruptions at Motor Vehicle offices and ongoing street-paving shortfalls. Flynn said restoring staffing at revenue-generating offices such as the DMV and at functions that support tax collections and permitting should be a priority so residents can access required services without…