City Budget

Budgets are about turning values into action. The city's proposed 2027 budget continues Denver's smart stewardship of our fiscal health. It increases investments into city parks and recreation centers, provides critical new supports to care for Denver families experiencing homelessness, increases funding for infrastructure improvements around schools, trains new firefighters and deputies, reinvests in our hard-working employees, and strengthens the city’s reserves for the second year in a row.

Denver's proposed 2027 budget is the product of a successful, multi-year strategy to carefully manage costs while focusing on strategic investments that drive economic momentum and long-term revenue growth – ensuring Denver is not only prepared for today, but well-positioned to thrive in the years ahead.

Budget Highlights: A Message from Mayor Mike Johnston(PDF, 128KB)

Download Denver's Proposed 2027 Budget(PDF, 19MB)

What is the Budget?

The budget provides detailed information about the City and County of Denver's estimated revenues and expenditures (spending) for the next year and serves as a work plan for the city and its departments, including a framework for setting priorities, strategic initiatives, and performance. The city's operating budget is known as the General Fund. These are some of its highlights:

2027 General Fund Revenue Expected to Increase

Driven by strengthening sales tax revenue, which is offsetting reductions in other revenue sources, 2027 revenue is expected to total $1.68 billion, a 1.1% increase over 2026.

2027 General Fund Expenditures to Increase by 1% 

In 2027, expenditures in the city’s operating budget are projected to increase by 1% from 2026, to $1.68 billion. 

2027 General Fund Staffing

Personnel costs represent about 70% of the General Fund budget. After more than a decade of significant personnel growth within the city, full-time equivalents (FTEs) in the General Fund began to decrease in 2025 as the city adjusted to changes in revenue. Starting in 2027, the city will no longer include on-call employees in FTE counts. Instead, on-call costs are budgeted as a dollar amount in an agency's budget. This change appears as a decrease of 490 FTE in the General Fund in 2027.

Sales and Property Tax Revenue

Sales and use tax is approximately 58% of the city’s operating revenue. Property tax is approximately 11%. Licenses, permits, and fees add another 11%. The full list of revenue sources can be found in the budget. 

2026 Adopted Budget (PDF)

Read the 2026 Adopted Budget

Denver Budget Archives

Review city budgets from previous years.

Official Schedules, Agendas, Minutes, Videos, Search for Legislation

This is where you'll find all the official records. This includes the schedule, agendas for the council and all committees, the minutes of all meetings, the calendar, and all the bills and resolutions that come through the council.