| Denver – October 9, 2026 — Following its review of Mayor Mike Johnston’s proposed 2027 budget and a series of budget hearings with multiple city agencies, the Denver City Council has submitted several recommendations to the mayor.
You can read the letter here.
Under the City Charter, the City Council holds the responsibility and authority to review, amend, and adopt Denver’s annual budget. This role ensures that community voices are represented in decisions about how public dollars are allocated.
The mayor may choose to incorporate, modify, or decline the Council’s recommendations as he prepares the final proposed budget, which is due to the Council on or before October 19, 2026. Once that final budget is submitted, the Council can make formal amendments, which the mayor can accept or veto. Vetoes can be overridden by a vote of nine members.
Key upcoming dates in the budget approval process:
October 19: Deadline for the mayor’s final proposed budget.
October 26: The City Council will hold a required public hearing on the final proposed budget. Sign-up to speak or submit written testimony begins on October 22 at 5:00 p.m. and ends on October 26 at 3:00 p.m.
November 2: The last meeting at which the City Council may propose and vote on formal amendments to the final proposed budget.
November 6 at noon: The mayor must decide whether to accept or veto amendments made by the council, if any have been passed.
November 9: The City Council may override any mayoral vetoes at this meeting (9 votes required). It must also pass a final budget on this date. If it does not pass a budget by this date, then the proposed budget, as amended by the council, excluding any vetoes not overridden, becomes the official budget. |