The City of Fort Collins is currently considering a $13 million reduction to the city's 2021 budget.

According to the Coloradoan, budget reductions could include:

  • Money shifts from one program to fund another
  • Shorter hours at city recreation facilities
  • Reduced Transfort service
  • Less money on aesthetic maintenance in Old Town
  • Cuts to air quality and the city's Climate Action Plan
  • Pay freeze for city employees
  • Holiday tree recycling, normally a free service, may adopt a fee
  • Renegotiation of the city's deal with the Larimer Humane Society
  • Closure of the Campus West Connections facility, sending that money instead to homelessness initiatives
  • Redirecting construction funding for the Conservation Trust trail to go toward park maintenance

Budget priorities include:

  • Parks maintenance
  • Police staffing
  • Street maintenance
  • Minimizing impact to city services

The budget proposal will be published on September 1, according to the Coloradoan. The city council will work through any necessary changes to the proposal over a series of public hearings between September and November.

The budget cut is projected at 13 million dollars, which is a 2.7 percent reduction from the 2020 budget.

As reported by the Coloradoan, the city's sales tax makes up about half of Fort Collins' revenue. With the ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus and less economic abundance in the city, Fort Collins is simply running low on funds.

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