Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.
The Colorado Springs City Council convened a Special Meeting Work Session Town Hall in Council Chambers on Monday, October 26, 2026, at 5:30 PM to hear public comment on the Mayor's proposed 2027 City Budget. Chief Financial Officer Charae McDaniel was the listed presenter. Council President Crow Iverson presided, with all councilmembers present except Councilmember Leinweiber, who was en route. Speakers were allotted three minutes each; the President noted that council would generally not comment but might ask clarifying questions, and reminded speakers that the budget must be balanced, so funding increases should be paired with suggested decreases.
Zuri Horwitz opposed the closure of Meadows Park Community Center, arguing that with $465.5 million in the general fund, the community is losing a staple for a $775,000 one-time payment connected to a developer deal. She said the relocated food pantry at Deerfield is a 13–17 minute drive away, burdening families who already struggle to afford gas. She noted nearly $4 million was spent last year on Axon cameras and questioned why money goes to AI surveillance instead of preventing desperation. She called the budget "a moral document" and urged the council to tell the mayor no.
Jay Wallace, representing Colorado Springs Professional Firefighters Local 5, presented three priorities: long-term sustainability, workforce competitiveness, and keeping pace with growth. He said CSFD firefighters remain behind comparable front-range departments in every pay classification. Statistics cited: 126 firefighters left CSFD across 2024–2026; departures to other state departments rose from 5 in 2024 to 10 last year, with 11 so far this year. Denver firefighters work 417 fewer hours per year (17 shifts) and are paid 16 percent more; Wallace also later cited 14 additional shifts needed to match Denver pay and 30 additional shifts per year for a battalion chief to match South Metro pay. The proposed $3.9 million apparatus allocation would reach only a 17-year replacement cycle versus the 12–15 year national standard, and one frontline apparatus on the north side is 30 years old. The average proposed pay raise is about 4.9 percent, while Denver has already slated 5 percent, narrowing the gap by only about 0.8 percent. He said an additional 1 percent for CSFD would be a significant step.
June Waller praised the fire department and asked the council to reconsider making the fire department part of the ambulance system, emphasizing that seniors need responders who arrive trained and ready; she thanked the council for a proclamation she could not receive in person due to hospitalization.
Becky Lineweber, Executive Director of Pikes Peak Outdoors, highlighted a tourism funding disparity: Visit Colorado Springs receives $6 million, Sports Corporation $1.65 million, Chamber/EDC $96,000, and Cultural Office $22,000, while outdoor recreation receives $120,000 — or $195,000 with an additional proposed $75,000 through Visit COS — with the next closest sector receiving over $400,000 more. She requested a dedicated, competitively awarded two-year contract for outdoor recreation, citing the Rosemont Reservoir recreation area groundbreaking and an upcoming International Mountain Biking Association evaluation.
Joyce Tivis opposed the Meadows Park Community Center closure, saying residents are treated "like a spreadsheet" and that children, seniors, and community mental health will bear the real human costs; she said no official has taken responsibility for the center's failure.
Jesse Prophet noted $11 million is 2 percent of the general fund and could reopen or expand Meadows Park Community Center, fund public housing, support the fire department, or create a public database of complaints against CSPD officers. He described paying CSPD $500 for the history of one officer, Connor Jacob Wallach, who had several reprimands and shot Alex Martinez Sarmiento in 2025, and said the city has paid over $9 million in settlements. He opposed tactical robots and bear cats.
Genevieve Richard, a District 4 resident with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, opposed the proposed $11 million police budget increase. She noted the only police cut in last year's $31 million shortfall was overtime, and asked why police funding grows before all cut services are restored. She said a third of the general fund goes to police, cited wrongful-death settlements involving Devon Bailey, Delvin Gadson, and Alex Martinez Sarmiento, alleged failures to investigate the cases of Richard Arford and Kathy Endicott, opposed the $600,000 bear cat and Project Taurus, and characterized the budget windfall as inflation-driven sales tax revenue from working people.
Bug Peterson, community organizer with the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, strongly opposed the $11 million CSPD budget increase. He cited 29 current lawsuits against CSPD officers in the latest quarterly report, a settled lawsuit in which a judge emailed Chief Vasquez about an officer who used excessive force, lied under oath, and falsified a document, and questioned the cost of sending well over a dozen police cars to a candlelight vigil for Benji Greenfield. He described a man who died after being left in a police car at the CJC garage when mental health care was what he needed, and called the police share of the general fund "too damn much."
Sparrow McKinney, also with the Alliance, opposed any new police budget increases, citing nine officer-involved shootings last year with no consequences for officers such as Connor Wallach and Carlos Pittman, and the shooting of Michael Foster by Officer Daniel Moore. She advocated for community control of the police through a democratically elected civilian police accountability council with real powers, including determining the police budget.
AJ Ninehuser raised transparency concerns about permanent supportive housing and shelter partners. He noted Greenway Flats is a 65-unit complex opened in 2019, Springs Rescue Mission's recent filings show roughly $15 million in revenue with government sources comprising 10–15 percent in recent years, and volunteer groups in Old Colorado City provide services without city operating contracts. He asked the city to require public independent conditions reports and clear outcome metrics before the next allocations, and challenged the mayor, his staff, and Travis Williams to join him for a joint health and wellness inspection at Greenway Flats.
Dr. Sonia Esquivel, an educator and community advocate, spoke from her participation in Local 5's Fire Ops 101, describing simulated emergency scenarios and urging continued investment in firefighters' training, equipment, and facilities so response readiness keeps pace with growth.
Kyle McGuffey questioned the proposed $1.8 million from marijuana tax revenue for police technology and equipment, asking how much is dedicated to surveillance and what evidence shows it is worth the money. He described requesting written grounds for the denial of his ALPR records request on August 17 under CRS 24-72-305(6), which requires a response within 72 hours, and receiving none 17 days later. He urged the council to demand transparency and evidence of effectiveness: "Accountability first, surveillance last."
Good evening and welcome to the City of Car Springs Special Council work session. Um the meeting agenda tonight is for the budget, um 2027 budget. Will the clerk please call the roll? Councilmember Casey. Here councilmember Crow Iverson. Here. Councilmember Donaldson. Here. Councilmember Gold. Here I am. Councilmember Hendron. Present. Councilmember Leinweiber. In route. Councilmember Rainey. Here. Councilmember Risley. Here. Councilmember Williams. Here. The present one in this is a public hearing for citizens to provide input to the city council on the proposed um 2027 budget. Members of the public wishing to speak will be given three minutes to comment. Council will likely not comment, though we may ask clarifying questions or make additional statements. The budget approved by city council must be balanced. So if the citizens suggest an increasing funding in one area, they should suggest the areas for decreasing funding as well. Um names signed up in order. Come up to the mic, turn on the green button, and you will have your time. First up, we will have Zuri Horwitz. Good evening. I'm not gonna repeat it. Leadership values, courage over comfort, empathy over apathy, humility, we before me, core values, transparent, approachable, and proactive. Does destabilizing families by taking away Meadows Park community center hold to these values? Does taking away recreation, senior services, a food pantry in the neighborhood not as the crow flies? Community events, community meeting spaces fit the priorities of giving that building over to a developer who said that they might be able to get in a child care provider. If you're wondering why people aren't here, do you think it's easy to take time off from your second or third job when you don't have affordable child care? Do you know what always has affordable child care? A community center. There's 465.5 million in the general fund. You are throwing away a staple in the community for a 775,000 one-time payment to the community. You know that they get 775,000 plus that building every year. You are stealing from one of the most underserved communities in Colorado Springs. And if they resisted your plans, the building would be empty. At the meeting, which did not have copies of the community benefits agreement, which is between the developer and the city of Colorado Springs, which chose to shut down the community center. We mayor one of the staffers from Ariami said that he wishes the community would have been more involved from the beginning, but it wouldn't have changed the outcome. Do I have any ability to change the outcome when I speak to you? And by the way, a 13 to 17 minute drive is not nearby. People cannot fly.