Cañon City sets budget deadlines and committee workshop calendar ahead of Oct. 1 draft

A staff member responsible for budget planning walked the committee through required dates and a proposed review process for the 2027 budget. The presenter said the draft proposed budget must be submitted to city council by Oct. 1 under the city charter and that the budget hearing is scheduled for Oct. 21. The presenter also noted the mill levy must be certified to the county in early December.

Council members proposed breaking the budget review into smaller, topic'focused workshops so committee members and the public can do deeper dives. One council member described the plan: hold budget workshops on Tuesdays and Thursdays in early October covering topics such as public safety, general government, enterprise funds, public works and capital projects. The committee agreed on proposed workshop dates of Oct. 6, Oct. 8, Oct. 13 and Oct. 15 at 4 p.m.

Staff said departments had already submitted requests and that some numbers (personnel costs, sales tax receipts) lag in internal reporting; staff offered to circulate the proposed budget on Oct. 1 and run detailed workshops the weeks of Oct. 5 and Oct. 12 so committee input can feed the council'level hearing. The presenter also described the community agency funding pool (typically around $55,000) and the schedule for inviting applications and review of those requests.

Committee members asked staff to prepare comparative tables (adopted vs. requested vs. estimated actuals) to support review and to identify significant changes from the current year to the next so workshops can concentrate on material issues rather than routine line'item details.