Boulder County Residents To Review 2020 Recommended Budget

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — Boulder County residents are invited to review recommended budget proposals and comment at a public hearing this month. On Oct. 10, the county’s Office of Financial Management presented a recommended budget of $436.6 million – a preliminary budget document that includes proposed spending packages by fund, elected office and department. The document also includes projected revenues for 2020.

The public hearing will take place at 2 p.m. this Tuesday in the Commissioners' Hearing Room, 3rd Floor, County Courthouse, 1325 Pearl Street in Boulder.

The 2020 Recommended Budget can be viewed on the county's website. Residents can also watch a video of the budget officer’s presentation Oct. 10 to the Boulder County Commissioners (scroll to and then click on 'V. 3 p.m. Public Meeting.') Written comments can be submitted at any time using the public comment form.

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Earlier this year, the Board of County Commissioners set the following budgeting goals to guide the Office of Financial Management in drafting the recommended budget for 2020:

• Rebuild Boulder County’s unassigned General Fund balance to an optimal level that would allow the county to withstand an economic downturn or an unforeseen disaster. (To begin restoring the reserve level, the board aims to adopt a 2020 General Fund budget no greater than the 2019 adopted budget, plus ongoing base amendments made to-date in 2019.)
• Recognize county employees as the most important asset and continue to provide a total compensation package that is in line with the market, as far as other competing requests for the budget allows. (Note: The Board of County Commissioners will be making a decision on 2020 employee benefit plans by the end of the month in order to set county premiums for 2020 before open enrollment this fall.)
• Provide the best in public service by funding services that effectively meet the needs of our community.
• Continue to complete flood recovery projects while finalizing the tasks necessary to receive reimbursement for this work.

Additional budget requests, priorities and adjustments to the recommended budget will be considered by the Board of County Commissioners at their annual budget work session on Thursday, Nov. 7. The final 2020 Boulder County Budget will be adopted at a public meeting at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

The 2020 Recommended Budget is a baseline budget, prepared by the Office of Financial Management, that provides a starting point for the Board of County Commissioners to set a balanced budget by Dec. 15.