Homepage > Government > Budget > Adopted 2023 Budget

Adopted 2023 Budget


The adopted budget for 2023 builds upon the unprecedented efforts the City has made over the past year to optimize every public dollar. Along with years of responsible fiscal planning, a timely injection of federal stimulus funds, and some belt-tightening, the City ensured it could continue to serve residents and businesses. Under the Council’s leadership, the City has refocused its energy on providing high-quality, core city services while responding to unprecedented staffing challenges both along the Front Range and across the nation. Through these challenges, the City learned innumerable lessons, and the City is stronger and more resilient than ever.  

Aligned with the City’s Strategic Plan and Vision, this proposed budget strengthens core city services for Westminster residents and businesses and positions our community to thrive for years to come. 

 

Economic Recovery with Inflationary Concerns 

The City has been working on revenue projections with economic experts from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado. Details of the projections were discussed at the City Council Study Session on August 1, 2022.  

The City’s July 2022 Financial Report indicates strong growth in key areas: 

Looking only at the 3.0% general sales and use tax, key components are listed below: 

  • On a year-to-date cash basis, net sales and use tax revenue is up 5.8% from 2021 after Economic Development Agreements (EDA) and Urban Renewal Area (URA) payments are deducted. 
  • Sales tax receipts from retail activity are up 7.6% from 2021 after EDA and URA payments. This does not include use tax receipts or audit and enforcement recovery amounts. 
  • On a year-to-date basis, total sales and use tax receipts are up 10.0% across the top 25 shopping centers compared to the prior year. 

 
2023 Budget is the Beginning 

This budget is the beginning of the City’s work to ensure Westminster residents and businesses continue to receive high-quality services. This budget is subject to change as more information is collected and insights are gathered from the projected revenues for 2023. 

 

Strengthening Core City Services 

In the coming year, the City will make significant investments in core services—police, fire, proactive code enforcement and streets infrastructure—to keep our city safe, clean and beautiful. 

The City will invest more than $19 million—a 30% increase—to improve the quality and condition of our streets, sidewalks, and street lights. 

In response to a tragic explosion that cost the life of a Westminster resident, the City Council unanimously approved $400,000 for clearing and rehabilitating the site. The City will also invest an additional $250,000 to strengthen the civil nuisance abatement program, which proactively addresses nuisance properties to prevent another tragedy from happening again in our community. 

Much like neighboring communities, Westminster is responding to rising homelessness along the Front Range. As part of a nearly $2 million investment in homelessness mitigation and support, the City has hired two homeless navigators to connect unhoused individuals with services, including offers of alternative housing, and contributed $1 million toward the Jefferson County Homeless Navigation Center. In addition to the Navigation Center, the following provisions are included: 

  • Shared temporary sheltering $   25,000 
  • Hotel stays when county hotel options are unavailable $ 250,000 
  • Basic needs to support homeless navigator work  $  105,500 
  • Transportation costs (Uber, Lyft, RTD) $   94,000 
  • Housing stabilization fund $ 350,000 
  • Homeless navigation assessment $ 100,000 
  • Homeless camp cleanup $   75,000 

And last but certainly not least, the City is investing more resources for our public safety services — that means police, fire and emergency medical services. Over the past year, the City has invested over $1 million in hiring and retention bonuses for public safety professionals and successfully completed collective bargaining agreements for both our fire and police departments. These significant and historic investments will help the City keep and attract the very best officers and firefighters.  

This focus on core city services will make our city beautiful, safe and attractive for current and new residents and businesses alike. 


Budget Development Calendar 

The budget process spans the majority of the year.  The following summarizes the 2023 Budget development schedule. 

  • March 23, 2022 – Personnel Budget Process Started 
  • April 28, 2022 – CIP Process Started 
  • May 23, 2022 – City Council Financial Retreat - Budget Programmatic Overview 
  • May 23, 2022 – Budget Process Opened to Departments 
  • June 27, 2022 – City Council Financial Retreat - CIP Overview 
  • August 1, 2022 – City Council Financial Retreat - Revenue Overview  
  • August 6, 2022 – City Council 2023 Budget Retreat 
  • August 31, 2022 – Release of Proposed 2023 Budget 
  • September 12, 2022 – Public Hearing on the Proposed 2023 Budget 
  • September 19, 2022 – Council Review of Proposed 2023 Budget 
  • October 10, 2022 – Second Public Hearing on the Proposed 2023 Budget, Pay Plan Adoption, and First Reading of Councillor's Bills Adopting 2023 Budget and Appropriating Funds for the 2023 Budget 
  • October 24, 2022 – Second Reading of Councillor's Bills Adopting 2023 Budget and Appropriating Funds for the 2023 Budget