Members of the Denver City Council submitted a letter to Mayor Mike Johnston late Friday afternoon outlining their suggested improvements to his proposed 2026 spending plan, including funding for elections, public health, housing and immigrant services.

In the letter, dated Oct. 10, the council identified additional funding for the Office of Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul López as among the recommendations supported by a  “supermajority” of its members. 

“The Clerk has identified $1 million in unexpended 2025 funds,” the letter read. “The Clerk and Recorder needs $2.5 million, assuming they are allowed to roll over $1 million in unexpended 2025 funds. The Council urges the Mayor and the Clerk and Recorder to work collaboratively toward an acceptable resolution on this funding issue.”

Johnston and López have been at odds this year over budget cuts to the city’s elections office, as the city works through a projected $200 million shortfall in 2026.

The mayor has stated that every city department must share in efforts to remedy budget woes.

López argued that cuts will close voter drop boxes, jeopardize voter access and “decimate” future elections.

“(The) City Council is not simply an advisory body in this process — under the City Charter, we are the authority responsible for reviewing, proposing amendments to, and ultimately approving the budget,” City Council President Amanda P. Sandoval said in a statement. “Facing a $200 million shortfall, we must ensure fiscal responsibility while meeting the needs of Denver residents. These recommendations reflect careful oversight, collaborative decision-making, and a commitment to accountability in how taxpayer dollars are spent.”

Johnston has stated that the budget he delivered to the City Council is a balanced budget and in accordance with the Denver City Charter.

He described it as “cut to the bones.”

“If there are any amendments to the budget that add cuts to any of the departments,” Johnston said earlier, “those would directly either cut these core services because there is nothing left to cut in these departments from what has currently been done without affecting these core services or affecting layoffs, which is why we think it’s really critical for all the public to know about that in the process ahead.”

In their recommendation letter to Johnston, the council members said they “encourage the administration to explore creative alternatives before considering additional layoffs. The Council remains committed to collaborating on recommendations to ensure the final budget balances fiscal responsibility with the needs of Denver residents.”

Denver’s City Council would also like to see the mayor add $125,000 in direct city funding for the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund, a program that provides legal services and representation to “vulnerable” immigrants.

“With federal funding cuts and over 100,000 pending immigration cases in Colorado, this support is essential to maintaining legal infrastructure and access to representation,” the Council’s letter to Johnston read.

“We’re ready to work with Council collaboratively, as we do on every budget,” a spokesperson for the mayor’s offcie told The Denver Gazette.

Recommendations supported by supermajority

Department of Public Health and Environment

• Fund Denver Food System Summit ($50,000): Allocate funding for a Denver Food System Summit in 2026 to assess the city’s food policy landscape and plan for the establishment of a Food Justice Fund.

Denver County Court 

• Restore Parking Magistrates ($575,000): Restore funding for five parking magistrate positions that were eliminated, each averaging $115,000 annually.

Department of Excise and Licenses 

• Maintain Excise Community Equity Fund ($30,000): Preserve minimal funding for the Excise and Licenses Community Equity Fund, which reimburses community groups for legal and organizing costs in opposing liquor or marijuana licenses. 

Department of Housing Stability 

• Restore Denver Day Works Funding ($550,000): Restore funding for Denver Day Works, the city’s homeless workforce program. 

• Increase Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance (TRUA) Funding ($7,000,000): Increase funding for the TRUA program by $7 million in 2026, with a $5 million rollover instead of the originally proposed $9 million and $3 million already allocated in the 2026 budget, for a total allocation of $15 million for 2026. 

• Restore Immigrant Legal Services Fund ($125,000): Add direct city funding for the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund. 

• Restore Denver Anti-Discrimination Program staff ($75,000): Hire a new full-time employee to lead the Denver Anti-Discrimination Program, focusing on education, outreach, and mediation.

Denver Clerk and Recorder

• Fund the Clerk & Recorder for the 2026 elections —The Clerk has identified $1 million in unexpended 2025 funds. The Clerk and Recorder needs $2.5 million, assuming it is allowed to roll over $1 million in unexpended 2025 funds. The Council urges the Mayor and the Clerk and Recorder to work collaboratively toward an acceptable resolution on this funding issue.

Mayor’s Office 

• Move mayoral appointee salaries to Mayor’s Office budget (no cost): Reallocate all salaries and positions for mayoral appointees currently housed in agency budgets to the Mayor’s Office budget. 

Recommendations supported by a simple majority of councilmembers 

Auditor’s Office 

• Restore the Base Budget in Auditor’s Office ($499,038): Restore the Auditor’s base budget, allowing the office to absorb $120,000 to launch the Wage Justice Fund and $110,000 to expand the City Attorney’s Office litigation capacity. The Auditor will continue holding two deputy positions vacant and return $2 million to the General Fund. The Council urges the Mayor and the Auditor to work collaboratively toward an acceptable resolution on this funding issue. 

Department of Public Health and Environment 

• Restore STAR Program Funding ($500,000): Restore funding to the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) program, reversing proposed 2026 cuts and maintaining 2025 service levels.

Denver Office of Economic Development

• Continue WorkReady Program Funding ($600,000): Maintain funding for the WorkReady program.

Department of Safety 

• Fill Vacant Crime Lab Positions ($537,283): Reallocate funding for five vacant positions in the Crime Lab. 

Department of Transportation and Infrastructure

• Increase Safe Routes to School Funding ($2,040,000).
• Restore Right of Way Enforcement Funding ($1,360,000).

Denver Sheriff Department
• Restore Crisis Response Team Positions ($286,000): Reinstate funding for three vacant Crisis Response Team positions within the Sheriff’s Department. 

On or before Oct. 20, the mayor must release his final proposed 2026 budget as required by the City Charter.

The City Council will hold a public hearing on the budget on Oct. 27. 

Nov. 3 will be the final opportunity for the council to propose and vote on budget amendments.

On or before noon on Nov. 7, the mayor must accept or veto any council-approved amendments.

Any veto to be overridden by the City Council will be considered on Nov. 10, before the final budget is approved. A supermajority of nine votes is required to override a veto.