Council Approval of Ordinance 8733 (ATB2): How They Voted
Date of Vote: December 4, 2025
What happened:
Council voted unanimously for Ordinance 8733, the final 2025 budget adjustment (ATB2). This update reflects what actually occurred throughout the year including new grants awarded, reimbursements received, and transfers needed to complete projects already in motion. Nearly all of these dollars come from one-time sources, partnerships, or external funding, not new taxes. Total Supplemental Adjustment: $16,042,65.
Why it matters:
ATB2 shows how the City's priorities shifted in real time. Instead of what we expected to spend, this reflects what we had to spend, most notably in wildfire response, safety infrastructure, land acquisition, multimodal transportation, and water-resilience upgrades.
The adopted budget shows the plan. ATB2 shows the reality.
Top 5 Fund Changes: Where Revenue Came From & Where It’s Going
1) Open Space Fund: $3.18M
Revenue: $201k fuels-mitigation grant, $100K wildfire reimbursement, $2.6M fund balance
Use: $2.63M mineral rights acquisition + mitigation & stewardship work
2) Governmental Capital Fund: $1.95M
Revenue: $1.5M Dairy sale, $657K radio infrastructure reimbursement, $99K insurance
Use: Sundance capital upgrades ($1.5M) + Public Safety radio replacements
3) General Fund: $1.75M
Revenue: $1M wildfire reimbursement, $400K ambulance non-compliance fees, $300K police OT reimbursement
Use: Wildland readiness, EMS stabilization, police staffing backfill
4) Transportation Fund: $1.08M
Revenue: $200K CU + $200K RTD partnership funding, $179K federal grants, $258K HOP adjustments
Use: 30th Street multimodal & Downtown Station work, plus streetlight acquisition overrun
5) Water Utility Fund: $1.39M
Revenue: $900K wildfire-infrastructure grant, $388K broadband offset, $52K turf conversion
Use: Climate + wildfire hardening, utility locator staffing, water-efficiency programs
Special Note: Resolution 165: $100M Western City Campus Appropriation
While separate from ATB2, Resolution 165 was passed unanimously in the consent agenda on 12/4 and is one of the largest single appropriations the City has ever made. The Council convened as BMPA, to carry this through. This was not counted on my scorecard because it did not require a public hearing.
Boulder Municipal Property Authority (BMPA): A legally separate entity that City Council convenes as when purchasing or financing major capital assets on behalf of the City. It allows Boulder to issue financing such as Certificates of Participation (COPs) without voter approval, holds property during repayment, and lease facilities back to the City until the debt is fully paid. The City will make annual lease payments, similar to a mortgage, until the debt plus interest is fully repaid, most likely out of the general fund.
Background: The Alpine-Balsam property, purchased in 2015 and being redeveloped under the Alpine-Balsam Area Plan, is the site for the new Western City Campus, a hub for consolidated City operations. Housing, flood protection, mobility improvements, and community uses will occupy the remaining parcels.
Resolution 161 (March 2025) authorized the City to issue $100M in Certificates of Participation (COPs). Resolution 165 as passed last week, appropriates the full $100M and activates it as spendable construction funding, turning authorization into execution.
What to Watch
As the Western City Campus moves forward, the public should watch how far over the $100M it grows, and how long-term debt service impacts future budgets. It will also matter whether consolidation produces operational savings sufficient to justify borrowing at this scale, and whether we see consistent transparency around spending, timeline, and overruns. In addition, Alpine-Balsam-related obligations (including outstanding tax settlements) should remain visible, as they have already required supplemental appropriation.
Full lifecycle investment: land + demolition + construction + infrastructure may eventually land in the $230M–$270M range depending on scope, inflation, and escalation.
This is a long horizon project. Oversight will matter. This is the moment where planning becomes a real financial obligation.
Jenny’s Take:
8733 tells the story of the year we actually had. Wildfire, safety, land stewardship, water resilience, and transportation needs reshaped the budget. These dollars reflect recovery, adaptation, and infrastructure, not new programs or added growth.
Resolution 165 is bigger than a line item, it’s a generational spend. As Boulder moves forward with the Western City Campus, I believe the community deserves clear reporting on costs, milestones, overruns, and anticipated savings. The decisions we make now will shape budgets for decades.
The budget shows intention. The appropriations show impact. And $100 million deserves eyes on it every step of the way.