Boulder parks officials outline $10 million city shortfall, propose targeted 5% department cuts and hiring freeze

City of Boulder Parks & Recreation officials told the advisory board that a roughly $10,000,000 shortfall in city general fund operating revenue will require department-level reductions and that the city has announced an immediate hiring freeze.

The department presented a staff-driven plan that begins with identifying an approximate 5% reduction target in the 2025 approved budgets and favors targeted cuts over across‑the‑board reductions. “They would rather see a targeted approach where it's 10 in 1 area and 0% in another,” Jackson, the department’s business services manager, said during the meeting.

Why it matters: the department funds operations, seasonal programming and capital projects that directly affect recreation services, park maintenance and public events across Boulder. Officials said avoiding layoffs is a priority but acknowledged service-level impacts and cancellations are possible if vacancies remain unfilled.

What staff said and proposed
- Jackson said the city asked departments to identify reductions after the city issued a press release about the shortfall; staff are preparing lists of potential reductions to present to City Council.
- Scott, filling in for department leadership, told the board the city manager’s office will make final decisions about which reductions are implemented. “We are not the sole decision makers in this,” Scott said.
- Department targets and clarifications shared in the meeting included: a 5% planning target across funds as a moving target; flexibility to shift CIP across funds; and that sales tax and recent property tax forecasting account for the largest parts of the projected decline.

Staffing and near‑term operational impacts
- As of the meeting, staff reported 148 currently filled positions and roughly 20 vacancies across the department. Seasonal/temporary staff (nonstandard employees) number about 540, with a typical cap near 550.
- The department said leaving vacancies unfilled for the remainder of the year could save an estimated $600,000–$800,000, representing a portion of the department’s $2,200,000 reduction goal.
- The citywide hiring freeze affects nonstandard and seasonal hires immediately; exemptions for critical positions will be reviewed case‑by‑case by the City Manager’s Office, staff said.

Budget drivers and constraints
- Staff described a projected sales‑tax decline that could reduce the dedicated 0.25¢ sales tax fund by about $1,200,000 and a property‑tax forecast change projecting an almost $2,500,000 cumulative loss over multiple years compared with prior expectations.
- Cost allocation charges (internal service charges for IT, legal, finance and HR) increased substantially; staff said methodology limits their ability to contest the increases.

Capital projects and schedule risks
- The department said it will review capital improvement program (CIP) projects for phasing, delays or reallocation of funds rather than uniform cuts; officials advised against a “peanut butter” approach of reducing all projects evenly.
- Staff noted limited planning and contractor capacity and rising construction escalation as additional constraints on delivering projects on previously anticipated schedules.

What the board asked and next steps
- Board members pressed for historical comparisons to the COVID‑era reductions and for more detailed numbers before the July meeting; staff agreed to return with more documentation and benchmarking in July.
- Department staff will submit a list of potential reductions to the city manager’s office for review and return to the board in July for recommendations on the operating budget and any appropriations the charter requires the board to approve.

Meeting context and limits
- No final policy decisions or layoffs were approved during the meeting. Staff repeatedly emphasized that final decisions rest with the City Manager’s Office and City Council and that proposals presented were part of an ongoing internal process.

Ending note: the department emphasized protecting staff and avoiding layoffs where possible while preparing targeted reduction options to balance ongoing services, capital obligations and fiscal constraints.