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Lobbyists tell Elbert County commissioners the state is facing a large budget shortfall; apply for grants now, they advise
Summary
County lobbyists told commissioners the General Assembly faces a $1.5 billion gap this year and warned that raiding of cash funds and cuts to Medicaid and other programs may reduce available grant funding; they advised local applicants to seek grants promptly.
Tim Coleman and Steve Belsky told the Board that Colorado is in a multi‑year budget squeeze and that the current session is on day 92 of 120, with roughly four weeks remaining.
The lobbyists said the state is managing an estimated $1.5 billion shortfall this fiscal year and faces further deficits in 2027–28; they listed three mechanisms being used to close the gap — tapping cash funds, using statutory reserves and cutting programs including some Medicaid services. “How are we going to make up that 1.5 billion? We are raiding cash funds. We are raiding some of our statutory reserve. We are cutting programs, especially in Medicaid,” they told commissioners.
Why it matters: the lobbyists warned that available grant funding is likely to shrink and urged the county and other local governments to apply now for any grants they can seek because funding pools may be raided in the year ahead.
Board questions and timing: commissioners asked about the session calendar; lobbyists reiterated that many high‑priority bills and negotiations often happen in the final two weeks and that it takes three days to pass a bill, underscoring the limited time to track late amendments.
Next steps: the lobbyists said they would continue to send packet updates and advise county staff on grant‑timing and any late legislative changes; commissioners did not take formal action during the briefing.
