Boulder council adopts $16M year-end budget adjustment as emergency ordinance

The Boulder City Council on Dec. 4 adopted Ordinance 8733, the city's second “adjustment to base” (ATB2) for 2025, approving approximately $16 million in year‑end budget adjustments by emergency measure.

Chief Financial Officer Krista Morrison and budget analyst Stacy Palakova outlined the ATB2 package, describing a $16 million total comprised of roughly $6.2 million from fund balance, $2.5 million tied to mid‑year grants and awards, and about $7.2 million from additional unbudgeted revenue (donations, interlocal reimbursements and higher‑than‑forecast receipts). Staff highlighted that almost half of the fund-balance draw supports a planned open‑space acquisition and that no general‑fund draw was requested for that acquisition.

Notable items included an appropriation of proceeds from the sale of the Dairy Arts Center to offset capital expenses (including Sundance Film Festival costs); reimbursements from the Boulder Regional Telephone Service Authority for radio‑infrastructure work; additional appropriation for an expanded street‑light acquisition project; $1.2 million in wildland‑fire deployment reimbursements to fire rescue and open space and mountain parks; reimbursements for police overtime related to special events; and roughly $2.6 million in new grant appropriations (including County Emergency Services Sales Tax Grant Program and a Colorado Strategic Wildlife Action Program award).

Council moved to adopt the ordinance by emergency measure and, after a roll call, approved Ordinance 8733 by the required two‑thirds vote. Staff said budget monitoring will continue and that the adjustments represent a constrained fiscal environment rather than new ongoing spending.