BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — Boulder County leaders are grappling with a multi-million dollar budget shortfall, leaving some community organizations wondering if they'll be on the chopping block for funding.
On Monday, the county announced its spending will soon outpace its revenue, and officials are working to find $30 million to $40 million in savings over the next three years.
In order to address the shortfall, Boulder County said it will eliminate positions and end programs over the next three years.
Thirty-one people will be laid off and 60 vacant positions will be eliminated during this round of budget cuts, according to the county. Voluntary severance packages are also being offered to staff with at least 15 years of service. The offer is available between Oct. 1 and Dec. 1.
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Boulder Co. laying off 31 people, eliminating 60 open positions amid budget woes
The looming budget challenges are already creating uncertainty for community organizations like Sister Carmen Community Center in Lafayette, which serves 350 families each week with food and financial assistance.
"It's a huge amount of money, and so it's going to hurt somewhere," said Suzanne Crawford, CEO of Sister Carmen Community Center. "It's scary to think about these cuts among the other cuts that are happening at the federal and state level."
On Wednesday, Denver7 took Crawford's concerns to Boulder County Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann and asked how leaders will choose where to trim the budget.
"It's certainly our job, and what we do each year is... take very seriously prioritizing the highest priority needs for the community and trying to make sure we fund those first," Stolzmann explained.
The Boulder County Office of Financial Management presented its 2026 recommended budget to the Board of County Commissioners Tuesday afternoon. The $666,543,319 proposal is a considerable drop from 2025's approved $708 million budget.
Under the recommended budget, the Social Services Fund could be cut by roughly $5 million. Denver7 asked Stolzmann about those potential impacts.
"They're services that affect people's everyday lives, from food safety to housing assistance to rental assistance to health care," she said.
- View the full 2026 recommended budget below
Both county officials and community leaders say collaboration will be essential when addressing the challenges ahead.
"Anytime we have disaster or a change or a crisis, it's important to check in with each other as community members," Stolzmann said.
Crawford echoed the need for community support heading into 2026.
"My hope is that we all just pull together as a team and try to fill the gaps as best that we can," Crawford said.
Elected officials and department heads will present their budgets during meetings on Oct. 7 and Oct. 9.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Oct. 14, while a work session presentation is scheduled for Nov. 6.
The Boulder County Board of County Commissioners is looking to vote on the budget on Dec. 9.
Residents who cannot attend the Oct. 14 hearing and would like to share their feedback can do so through this form.
Denver7's Sydney Isenberg contributed to this report.
