The Denver City Council rejected Mayor Mike Johnston’s $1.66 billion spending plan, but the proposal, as amended, will still govern operations, as the charter requires the city to have a budget in place by Nov. 12.

In a split 6-6 vote on Monday, councilmembers expressed disappointment with various aspects of the budget process, citing its complicated nature and “lack of collaboration and transparency.”

One councilmember was absent.

Councilmembers Chris Hinds, Kevin Flynn, Diana Romero-Campbell, Jamie Torres, Amanda Sandoval and Darrell Watson voted in favor of the budget, while Councilmembers Flor Alvidrez, Shontel Lewis, Stacie Gilmore, Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, Paul Kashmann, and Amanda Sawyer balked at the spending plan.

At-large Councilmember Sarah Parady was absent.

Earlier this year, as he scrambled to fill a projected $200 million budget deficit, the mayor delivered what he called a balanced budget that was “cut to the bone.”

Johnston also stated that the overall 5.8% reduction in spending is the “most conservative” the city has experienced in 15 years.

Last year’s budget came in at $1.76 billion, a 0.6% bump from the 2024 budget of $1.74 billion, making it the smallest annual increase — excluding the pandemic years — since 2011.

At a news conference announcing the proposed budget, Johnston cautioned the council that budget amendments that included any departmental cuts could compromise core services or trigger further personnel layoffs.

The Denver City Council countered with more than two dozen amendments to Johnston’s proposed spending plan, of which 10 were adopted.

Johnston agreed not to exercise his veto authority and accepted all 10 of the Denver City Council’s amendments.

The new budget, as amended, allocates additional funding to several school and youth programs and transfers $1.6 million from the city’s Capital Improvement Program contingency fund to support capital improvements for the Safe Routes to School program.

Among the amendments approved by the council last week is an additional $2.7 million from the unassigned fund balance for the Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

Clerk Paul López called the council’s move to restore his office’s 2026 budget “an emboldened testament of Denver’s commitment to independently run elections during a time when our country needs it the most.”

Other amendments add $500,000 to the city’s Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) program and $286,000 to add a crisis response team at the Denver jail to assist those experiencing mental or behavioral crises.

The new budget allocates $15 million for Temporary Rent and Utility Assistance (TRUA), aimed at preventing households most at risk of eviction from becoming homelessness and continuing funding for 24/7 cold weather sheltering.

Some of the most significant cuts in the 2026 budget came from reductions in general fund allocations for the city’s homelessness initiatives. The Office of Housing Stability (HOST) will absorb $33 million in reductions across multiple funds.

While the city will not see a reduction in the number of uniformed personnel, public safety agencies have absorbed $27 million through vacancy savings and the elimination of one fire academy class, as the Denver Fire Department is currently at full strength, according to city officials.

“Navigating this challenge has tested us all,” Sandoval, the council president, said in a statement. “Yet City Council has risen to the occasion, delivering a stronger budget that reflects the community’s priorities. I am eager to continue working alongside my colleagues and the administration to serve Denver’s residents.”

The councilmembers repeatedly thanked members of the city’s finance department for their efforts throughout the budget process, acknowledging the challenges they faced in a deficit year.

Sawyer said the lack of transparency, among other deficiencies, has been “incredibly frustrating.”

“I am extremely concerned about some of the things that have gone on, some of the things we see in here this year, as councilmembers,” Sawyer said of the budget process. “I’m not putting my stamp of approval on this budget; I have been here six years, and I really have never seen anything like it before – the lack of transparency, the lack of accountability, the lack of information sharing is incredibly frustrating.”

Lewis added that the budget process had not been collaborative.

“We learned about the cutting of programs, not by the mayor, but often via the media or nonprofits, or from our own residences directly,” she said.

Torres, who voted to adopt the budget, said that while she concurred with colleagues on the frustration, she would vote to support the new budget because of the “powerful” changes the council had made to it.

“In this budget, we replenish the Immigrant Services Fund back up to its original amount,” Torres said. “We replenished the fund that was cut, which helps neighbors pay for their license hearing costs; we got funding for a food summit so we can build the case for our more robust food system – something we’re experiencing the ‘why’ for right now, as we see our pantries, see their numbers of people at their doors double.”

Torres added, “In amendments, we replenished the auditor’s office budget; we got the worker justice fund funded for the first time; we funded the 2026 elections appropriately and established $3 million for year one of the community-led safety grant program.”