Colorado Springs proposed 2023 budget adds new police, firefighter positions

Oct. 3—The City of Colorado Springs plans to invest in more police and fire protection in next year's proposed budget to help keep up with growth across town.

The proposed budget expected to top $1 billion for all services includes 15 new police officer positions and 32 new firefighter positions needed to staff new fire stations.

The city's general fund that supports basic city services is expected to rise about 5.9%, up to $420 million, and feature $11.3 million for pay increases for city employees, including police officers and firefighters. The city is anticipating 3% raises for all employees to keep up with the market plus raises from 0% to 4% for performance, Chief Financial Officer Charae McDaniel said.

"It is paramount for the city of Colorado Springs to really have a continued focus and emphasis on public safety," Chief of Staff Jeff Greene said at a news conference. Greene stood in for Mayor John Suthers, who is on vacation.

The city is 70 police officers short, not counting the new positions the city expects to add next year to help keep up with community growth, he said.

Greene attributed some of the police attrition problems the city has seen to civil unrest the country has experienced nationally in recent years. Colorado Springs saw some protests calling for police reform following the death of George Floyd, a Minnesota man who was killed by a police officer in 2020.

Police Chief Adrian Vasquez, who took the helm of the department in April, is working to fill positions by running police academies constantly, Greene said.

The fire department is adding new stations to serve high-growth areas, with one newly finished on Printers Parkway that will help serve the apartments going up downtown. The staff at the new $4.8 million station respond to about 4,000 calls a year, said Capt. Mike Smaldino, a spokesman for the department.

Downtown has its own dedicated fire station as well.

Two additional stations are planned at InterQuest Parkway and Powers Boulevard and Marksheffel and Bradley roads. The city is still negotiating a land swap for the station near InterQuest, Greene said.

The new service near Marksheffel and Bradley would be a partnership with Colorado Centre Metropolitan District that already provides service in the area, Smaldino said. Both stations are expected be operational by January 2024, but the new staff need months of training and will have to be hired ahead of time, he said. Both areas have seen rapid growth in recent years.

The parks and public works departments will also see some growth next year, with 12 in public works, two new employees for Garden of the Gods park and four new park rangers, a news release said.

While planning to support ongoing growth, the city's revenue projections are conservative, with sales tax revenues expected to rise 2.9% over the 2022 end-of-year forecast.

As the country braces for more economic headwinds, such as ongoing inflation, the city is planning to hold 20% of the general fund in reserve to cover any funding shortfalls, McDaniel said.

"We feel really good about where we are financially," she said.

Strong revenues this year allowed the city to hold over $11 million for use next year as well, the news release said.

A strong reserve could be important because it is possible the country will see a recession in the next year.

A recession is likely because the Federal Reserve is committed to lowering inflation by increasing interest rates, said Joe Craig, interim faculty director of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Economics Forum. While inflation is still rising, it is not rising as quickly — and that is a positive sign, he said.

"I think we are going to see a corner being turned somewhat soon," he said.

Colorado Springs could also be somewhat insulated from a recession because of the strong military presence in town and its appeal as a community that draws in new residents.

"Springs is probably going to be better off than the rest of the nation on average," he said.

The Colorado Springs City Council will review the budget proposal in the coming months and may make changes ahead of a final vote in December.