Aurora rules committee asks staff to draft changes to council travel allocations and carryover rules

The Aurora City Council Rules Ad Hoc Committee discussed and directed staff to draft revised rules for council travel budgets at its April 27 meeting, saying members should have a clear, defensible process for sharing or carrying over unused travel funds.

Mayor Pro Tem and chair introduced Item 3A by summarizing the current rule, which sets a $7,000 annual travel allocation for council members and a larger amount for the mayor. He said across‑the‑board travel reductions had left some newer members with limited funds while longer‑serving members had accumulated balances from years when travel was restricted during the pandemic.

Committee discussion focused on two remedies: permit limited sharing or transfers of leftover travel allocations between council members under a tracked administrative process, or instead reset balances annually with a carryover cap. Committee members proposed setting all members’ allocations at $7,000, allowing a carryover of up to $3,000 so a returning member could begin the new year with as much as $10,000, and capping balances so any amount above $10,000 reverts to the general fund.

No formal ordinance was adopted. Instead, the committee asked the city manager and the city attorney to draft defensible policy language and forms that would allow either controlled sharing or a carryover/cap system and return the proposal for public comment at the committee’s next meeting. The chair said the committee will review the draft on May 21 and that public comment on the item will be permitted at that meeting.

The committee also clarified which travel expenses typically come from the council travel budget (conferences, trainings, some mayoral mission expenses) and noted certain trips, such as Washington, D.C., lobbying, are funded from a separate budget.

Next steps: staff will draft policy options (transfer/sharing mechanics, carryover limits, tracking forms and caps) and circulate them for committee review and public comment ahead of the May 21 meeting.