Littleton City Council Approves 2022 Budget: What To Know

LITTLETON, CO — Littleton's $49.7 million 2022 budget, which was adopted by City Council last week, was one of the city's most challenging budgets in decades. The city is one of thousands across the country that are grappling with the revenue loss that hit in 2020.

The City of Littleton Leadership team, city departments and officials worked throughout the summer on the proposed budget, which aims to serve the city while also retaining and hiring talented employees amid a nationwide labor shortage.

The city's general fund revenues began to rebound in the city in the early summer, and by October, they were up by 10.6 compared with the first 10 months of 2020, officials said. Expenditures for the time frame were down by 2.2 percent compared to 2020.

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Funding is set to be halted at the end of 2022 for the Littleton Immigrant Resource Center, according to the Littleton Report, which gave an overview of the new budget and the challenges the city faces.

The city aims to add back some services that were cut for the 2021 budget.

"The council considered 20 policy questions including a digital media technician and software licensing for the Littleton Police Department to facilitate a body-worn camera program to be in place by July 2023 as required by state law," the Littleton Report reads.

Funding for other projects was also considered:

• The replacement of the Harlow Park playground and equipment;
• TrailMark Park improvements;
• The replacement of both pavilions at Sterne Park;
• A site plan for Jackass Hill Park improvements.

"A grounds and landscaping assessment and maintenance master plan is recommended by staff as well as four new utility technicians funded from the sewer and stormwater utility fund and capital projects funds, and an increase in funding for Neighborhood Partnership Grants," the Littleton Report read.

Many operational and capital requests continue to be deferred, and while local grant matching sources have been found, the city doesn't have funding to meet the grant-matching obligations through 2026, officials said.

"It will be essential for the city to establish priorities within the General Fund and confirm the resources are assigned appropriately to manage the critical services citizens have come to expect," the Littleton Report read.

The city's 2022 printed budget is set to be distributed to the public Dec. 8.

>> Read Littleton's 2022 proposed budget document here.