Montrose, CO — The public will have an opportunity to receive information and provide feedback regarding the City of Montrose's 2027 budget at an open house planned for Monday, November 2, in the PD Community Room. The event will begin at 4:15 p.m. with an overview of the budget, followed by informal, one-on-one discussions with city officials who will receive comments and provide additional information.
The city budgets annually for a fiscal year that begins January 1. The City Charter (Article V - Finance, Appropriations, and Taxation) outlines the basic procedure that is used to create, approve, and implement the annual budget.
The city manager’s office is required to prepare a recommended annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year and provide it to the City Council in mid-October. The budget development process begins in early summer with each department preparing a preliminary budget estimate based on an analysis of its operational needs for the coming year. Departmental budget estimates are carefully reviewed and adjusted by the city manager’s office and are then combined into a draft budget for the entire city organization. The draft budget is then provided to the City Council for review.
Following the open house, the budget is drafted into a city ordinance and placed before the City Council for a formal vote of adoption. As with any city ordinance, the council must vote on a first and second reading of the ordinance after conducting a public hearing and taking public comment. Consideration of the budget and appropriation ordinances is scheduled for the regular City Council meetings on Monday, November 2, and Tuesday, November 17.
Residents who are unable to attend the open house are encouraged to view the proposed budget at CityofMontrose.org/Budget. Printed copies of the proposed budget are also available at City Hall (400 East Main Street) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday. All interested citizens are encouraged to provide written and verbal comments.