Denver City Council left its annual budget retreat with the goal of focusing 2023’s funding on community engagement, increasing affordable housing, reframing public safety, workforce and business recovery, protecting the environment and increasing transportation in the city.

These priorities will serve as a guide to the mayor’s office and other city agencies as they develop budgets for next year, according to a news release from the city. Mayor Michael Hancock will need to brief council on the budget on or before Sept. 15, before the council holds several public hearings and approves a final budget by Nov. 8.

Each of the six budget priorities has specific items outlined that council members want to see funding allocated toward.

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For improving community engagement, council wants primary consideration given to creating an executive Office of Community Engagement created to oversee various resident engagement services, as well as more funding for each council office’s own engagement work.

The release said the next priority is increasing affordable housing and support for those experiencing homeless, as well as mitigating and reducing involuntary displacement. Primary considerations include more funding for homeless support services, housing stability services, grants for accessory dwelling unit construction, gap funding for deed-restricted housing and more.

Another council goal is to reframe public safety in a “public health, evidence-based and anti-racist context” with community support. Primary considerations include funding mental health, wellness and addiction services, the Support Team Assistance Response Program and litter and youth support programming.

For continued workforce, business and community recovery and revitalization, city council wants primary consideration given to funding for small business assistance, stipends for construction training and support services, and hero/premium pay for non-city essential workers.

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To continue protecting the environment and combating climate change, the release said council wants budgets to prioritize funding for tree canopy expansion and maintenance, incentivizing xeriscape over bluegrass lawns and electric vehicle mobility and infrastructure.

Finally, to increase transportation connectivity throughout the city, council wants funding focused on sidewalks, bike infrastructure expansion, safe routes to school and upgrading multimodal transportation.

“As our city continues to recover from the last two years, I’m proud of the work my colleagues and I have done to amplify the needs and wants of our constituents,” Council President Stacie Gilmore said in the release. “Our budget priorities align with our residents’ most urgent needs, and they communicate to the Mayor and city agencies what the council expects to see funded in the proposed 2023 budget for the City and County of Denver.”

More details on the council’s budget priorities can be found here.

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