Denver City Council Meeting - November 3, 2025: Budget Amendments and Resolutions

The Denver City Council convened on Monday, November 3, 2025, at 10:30 AM for a special session to consider 26 proposed amendments to the mayor's proposed 2026 budget. The meeting lasted over seven hours, featuring extensive debate on homelessness funding, police department budgets, independent agency autonomy, and election security. Council members voted on numerous amendments, resulting in several high-profile passes and failures. The meeting also included unanimous approval of late-filed resolutions related to SNAP benefit cuts.

Consent Calendar

• No consent calendar items were noted for the budget amendments.
• A block of resolutions (including items 25-1504, 1542, 1547, etc.) was adopted unanimously by a 13-0 vote at the end of the meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were taken during the budget amendment session; a separate half-hour public comment period was scheduled earlier in the evening.

Discussion Items

• Amendment 1 (Torres, Lewis, Parity, Gonzalez-Gutierrez): Transfer $379,038 from general contingency to the Auditor's Office to restore base budget cuts. Councilmember Torres argued it was a net-zero effect and necessary for independence. Approved 13-0.
• Amendment 2 (Gonzalez-Gutierrez): Move $9 million from police recruits and services/supplies to the Department of Housing Stability (HOST) for unsheltered family homelessness. Supporters cited 240 unhoused families; opponents questioned impact on police response times and lack of a spending plan. Failed 5-8.
• Amendment (Lewis): Transfer $2 million from police recruits to the Denver Basic Income Project. Councilmember Lewis highlighted 88% response rate and $600,000 in savings from reduced ER visits. Failed 5-8.
• Amendment (Parity): Move four vacant street engagement team positions to HOST outreach. Debate focused on role differences. Failed 6-7.
• Amendment (Parity): Provide $9 million for family shelter by cutting $5.7M in police recruits, $2.4M in personnel services, and $779,000 for helicopter lease. Proponents cited moral imperative; opponents argued cuts would hinder recruiting. Failed 5-8.
• Amendment (Parity): Transfer $355,368 from SET to HOST outreach. Failed 6-7.
• Amendment (Parity, Cashman, Alvidrez): Provide $1.6 million for Safe Routes to School from CIP contingency. Passed 13-0.
• Amendment (Parity): Fund $500,000 for Broadway bike lane design from CIP contingency. Tied 6-6, failed.
• Amendment (Parity, Cashman, Alvidrez): Restore $400,000 for Safe Routes to School personnel from DPD services/supplies. Failed 5-5 (tie= fail).
• Amendment (Torres et al.): Allocate $3 million from Broncos Fund for youth safety grants. Passed 13-0.
• Amendment (Lewis): Move $1.6 million from police recruits to sheriff's department for staffing. Failed 6-7.
• Amendment (Lewis): Transfer $286,000 from DPD services/supplies to sheriff mental health programs. Passed 7-6.
• Amendment (Parity): Fund $360,841 for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in jail from holiday lights, greenhouse, and civic events cuts. Failed 4-9.
• Amendment (Lewis, Parity, Alvidrez): Provide $2.7 million for election funding from general fund balance. Passed 13-0 after emotional debate.
• Amendment (Lewis, Parity): Fund Denver Day Works with $550,000 from general contingency. Passed 13-0.
• Amendment (Parity): Transfer $300,000 from business incentives to workforce readiness program (Work Ready). Passed 8-5.
• Amendment (Sandoval): Move $80,280 from city council budget to STAR program for van Wi-Fi upgrades. Passed 13-0.
• Amendment (Lewis, Cashman): Provide $500,000 for STAR from DPD and DOS services/supplies. Passed 10-3.
• Amendment (Lewis, Gonzalez-Gutierrez): $400,000 for Denver Table food consortium. Failed 6-7.
• Amendment (Torres, Cashman, Parity): $496,400 for out-of-school time programs from Broncos Fund. Passed 13-0.
• Amendment (Lewis): $1.6 million for sheriff from police recruits. Failed 6-7.

Key Outcomes

• Approved (13-0): Auditor's Office restoration, Safe Routes to School ($1.6M), youth safety ($3M), election funding ($2.7M), Denver Day Works ($550K), STAR upgrades ($80K), out-of-school time programs ($496K), STAR operations ($500K), sheriff mental health ($286K), Work Ready ($300K).
• Failed: Family shelter amendment ($9M), Denver Basic Income Project ($2M), SET transfers, helicopter lease cuts, MAT program, food consortium, sheriff staffing from police recruits, Broadway bike lane design, Safe Routes personnel.
• The council also approved late-filed resolutions to redirect Healthy Food for Denver Kids funds to address SNAP benefit reductions (resolutions 1740-1743).
• Multiple amendments were withdrawn or replaced, including Denver Day Works and youth violence prevention measures, to accommodate alternative funding sources.
• The council expressed frustration with the budget process and called for a new collaborative approach in future years.