Castle Pines council adopts 2025 budget after amendment to park funding

The City Council of the City of Castle Pines approved the 2025 budget on Dec. 3, adopting resolution 24-69 after an amendment that consolidated park capital allocations. Council member Mulvey moved to amend section 1 and Exhibit A so that funding for Coyote Ridge Park, Soaring Hawk Park, park improvements and trails capital appear as a single $5,700,000 appropriation, consistent with prior council direction; the motion was seconded and the amended resolution passed.

Finance Director Mike Farina summarized the budget as a “balanced budget with healthy reserves, and it's also mindful of maintaining fiscal health in the future years.” He told the council the city maintains a 25% general fund reserve policy and presented multi-year forecasts for parks, roads, capital improvements and the stormwater utility. During deliberations, council members pressed staff on transparency and whether the attachment to the resolution (Exhibit A) should show fund-level totals rather than line-by-line allocations; the acting city attorney advised that the charter requires adequate detail but staff proposed language to list fund totals and keep exhibit detail for reference. The council adopted the budget as amended and appropriate to the funds at the fund level.

The council's vote followed public comment from Tiffany Ball, chair of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, who urged timely appropriation for parks: “We hope that you are as excited as our board is about the potential for Castle Pines to grow into another chapter.” The amended resolution conceals detailed line items from the adopted exhibit while preserving the total fund appropriation and the council’s commitment to park projects.