Des Moines opens early budget work session, staff outline $12M–$17M gap and public "solve the budget" exercise

City Manager Scott Sanders told the council that preliminary estimates show the city needs at least $12 million to cover fiscal year 2028 and possibly up to $17 million to cover two years under a worst-case scenario. "In a best case scenario, we need $12 million," Sanders said, and he urged council to focus on minimizing impacts to residents as staff refine options over the coming months.

Sanders described the staff presentation as "a starting point, not a recommendation," and outlined a public engagement plan that centers on an online "solve the budget" exercise expected to go live around June 29. Participants will choose from roughly 25–30 line items (cuts and new-fee proposals), be asked to provide an email and ward, and must submit a balanced package that reaches the $12 million target. Staff plan to present a summary of submissions in early August and to pursue a "consensus" package for council consideration on Aug. 26, with a potential formal vote in September.

Council members pressed for clarity about implementation risks for staff and services. When asked if proposed layoffs could occur before a council vote, Sanders said he "could not commit" that he would not act if staff identified that a strong council majority or consensus required immediate changes; council members repeatedly pressed to distinguish "consensus" (the mayor said it would mean all seven members) from a simple majority and asked staff to avoid uncoordinated personnel actions that would pre-empt public input.

Staff emphasized that the early schedule is intended to provide transparency and time for additional public meetings, department briefings and adjustments to the option set. Sanders said the initial option list already exceeds $15 million in potential savings and that some items are one-time (for example, property dispositions) while others would be recurring service reductions or new revenues. He told council that numbers will be refined over the next three months as interest rates and other variables become clearer.

The presentation also previewed specific service-level options across departments — from permitting and right-of-way fees to library hours, parks maintenance and public-safety staffing — and warned that every option carries trade-offs. Sanders directed departments to produce clearer, division-level descriptions of how cuts would impact response times, permitting turnaround and program availability so residents can weigh choices in the upcoming public exercise.

Next steps: staff will post Q&A from this session, publish the online exercise, schedule public meetings in July, and return to council in late August with an updated gap analysis and a proposed package of consensus items.