2021 Budget

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Consultation has concluded

Nov. 18 Update: City Council unanimously adopted the 2021 budget on Nov. 18, 2020. It will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021; the finalized budget document will also be published in January.


Welcome, and thank you for your interest in the 2021 Budget!

Generally, the City creates a biennial budget every two years using the Budgeting for Outcomes (BFO) process. BFO focuses on outcomes and results, not on cost, and puts the community’s values and priorities first.

Due to the economic uncertainty related to COVID-19, the City will create a one-year 2021 Recommended Budget for City Council to consider

Nov. 18 Update: City Council unanimously adopted the 2021 budget on Nov. 18, 2020. It will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021; the finalized budget document will also be published in January.


Welcome, and thank you for your interest in the 2021 Budget!

Generally, the City creates a biennial budget every two years using the Budgeting for Outcomes (BFO) process. BFO focuses on outcomes and results, not on cost, and puts the community’s values and priorities first.

Due to the economic uncertainty related to COVID-19, the City will create a one-year 2021 Recommended Budget for City Council to consider this fall. Typically, the City does more robust outreach prior to publishing the City Manager’s Recommended Budget. Given the constrained timeline and the shift to a one-year budget, this year’s engagement will be a little different.

Opportunities for you to help shape the Recommended Budget will be available starting in mid-July, with additional opportunities to provide feedback directly to City Council throughout the fall as they consider and modify the recommended budget before final adoption in November.


What is Budgeting For Outcomes?

For 15 years, BFO has helped the City identify and fund various programs and services to achieve different community outcomes. There are seven Key Outcome Areas and each has specific objectives and performance measures that make up the City’s Strategic Plan. Every funded budget item has to impact at least one of those objectives. The Strategic Plan is also updated every two years through extensive community engagement to ensure funded programs and services reflect the desires of the community. City Council unanimously adopted the 2020 Strategic Plan(External link) earlier this year.



Want to participate in this process?

Each week we will highlight one of the City's Seven Key Outcome Areas. We will cover information regarding what the outcome area is all about, including the objectives within. We want to make sure these objectives reflect the needs and aspirations of our community, so you will have a chance to rank the objectives in each area.


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Bienvenido y gracias por su interés en el presupuesto del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Fort Collins para el año 2021!

Actualización del 5 de agosto: El enfoque de esta semana será en el Área Clave de Salud Social y Habitabilidad del Vecindario. Haga clic en las pestañas "Área de resultados" y "Encuesta" a continuación para obtener más información sobre y ayudar a la Ciudad a priorizar los servicios dentro de él.

Generalmente, la Ciudad crea un presupuesto bienal cada dos años usando el proceso de Presupuesto basado en Resultados (PbR) (Enlace externo). PbR se enfoca en la orientación de las acciones del gobierno hacia los resultados que la comunidad espera obtener y no en el costo.

Debido a la incertidumbre económica relacionada con COVID-19, el Gobierno de la Ciudad de Fort Collins creará un recomendación presupuestaria de un año para adopción en 2021 para consideración del Concejo Municipal. Por lo general, el gobierno realiza un proceso de participación pública más a fondo antes de publicar el presupuesto recomendado por el gerente de la ciudad. Dado el cronograma limitado y el cambio a un presupuesto de un año, la participación de este año será un poco diferente.

Las oportunidades para que usted ayude a dar forma la recomendación presupuestaria estarán disponibles a partir de mediados de julio, con oportunidades adicionales para aportar comentarios directamente al Concejo Municipal durante el otoño mientras consideran y modifican la recomendación presupuestaria antes de su adopción a finales de noviembre.

¿Qué es el Presupuesto basado en Resultados (PbR) ?

Durante 15 años, PbR ha ayudado a la Ciudad a identificar y financiar varios programas y servicios para lograr diferentes objetivos comunitarios. Hay siete Áreas de Resultados Clave y cada una tiene objetivos específicos y medidas de desempeño que conforman el Plan Estratégico de la Ciudad. Cada acción del gobierno financiada tiene que afectar al menos a uno de esos objetivos. El Plan Estratégico también se actualiza cada dos años a través de un amplio proceso de participación comunitaria para garantizar que los programas y servicios financiados reflejen los deseos de la comunidad. El Ayuntamiento adoptó por unanimidad el Plan Estratégico 2020 (Enlace externo) a principios de este año


Consultation has concluded

Do you have any questions about our budgeting process or about our 2021 budget changes? Let us know!

¿Tiene alguna pregunta acerca de nuestro proceso presupuestario o acerca de los cambios presupuestarios debido a COVID? ¡Háganos saber!

  • Share Less aquestion than a comment -- the proposed 42% reduction in natural areas funding is counter to the trend of increased usage. These areas are hammered, and will get moreso if you cut the budget. on Facebook Share Less aquestion than a comment -- the proposed 42% reduction in natural areas funding is counter to the trend of increased usage. These areas are hammered, and will get moreso if you cut the budget. on Twitter Share Less aquestion than a comment -- the proposed 42% reduction in natural areas funding is counter to the trend of increased usage. These areas are hammered, and will get moreso if you cut the budget. on Linkedin Email Less aquestion than a comment -- the proposed 42% reduction in natural areas funding is counter to the trend of increased usage. These areas are hammered, and will get moreso if you cut the budget. link

    Less aquestion than a comment -- the proposed 42% reduction in natural areas funding is counter to the trend of increased usage. These areas are hammered, and will get moreso if you cut the budget.

    robin9999 asked over 3 years ago

    Thank you for this feedback. The 2020 Natural Areas budget total includes $10M set aside for land acquisition. That is an annual reappropriation that moves from year to year if not spent. So if the Natural Areas program does not spend some or all of that money on land purchases in 2020, it will move to the 2021 budget, and so on until it is spent. 

    On paper, this certainly makes it look like a large reduction in the total Natural Areas budget from 2020 to 2021. However, if you take out that $10M, the rest of the proposed Natural Areas budget reflects a modest increase from $12.2M in 2020 to $12.8M in 2021. And again, any unspent balance of that $10M will move to the 2021 budget next year.


  • Share Why is money being taken out of affordable housing during a pandemic in order to fit our reduced budget but not out of “safe community?” “Safe community” receives 92.7 compared to 13.1 million in the city budget and only a small amount of the 92.7 is indicated to be required by laws. It, by far, has the largest extra chunk coming out of the general budget for services (yet is not one of the areas cuts are being made). on Facebook Share Why is money being taken out of affordable housing during a pandemic in order to fit our reduced budget but not out of “safe community?” “Safe community” receives 92.7 compared to 13.1 million in the city budget and only a small amount of the 92.7 is indicated to be required by laws. It, by far, has the largest extra chunk coming out of the general budget for services (yet is not one of the areas cuts are being made). on Twitter Share Why is money being taken out of affordable housing during a pandemic in order to fit our reduced budget but not out of “safe community?” “Safe community” receives 92.7 compared to 13.1 million in the city budget and only a small amount of the 92.7 is indicated to be required by laws. It, by far, has the largest extra chunk coming out of the general budget for services (yet is not one of the areas cuts are being made). on Linkedin Email Why is money being taken out of affordable housing during a pandemic in order to fit our reduced budget but not out of “safe community?” “Safe community” receives 92.7 compared to 13.1 million in the city budget and only a small amount of the 92.7 is indicated to be required by laws. It, by far, has the largest extra chunk coming out of the general budget for services (yet is not one of the areas cuts are being made). link

    Why is money being taken out of affordable housing during a pandemic in order to fit our reduced budget but not out of “safe community?” “Safe community” receives 92.7 compared to 13.1 million in the city budget and only a small amount of the 92.7 is indicated to be required by laws. It, by far, has the largest extra chunk coming out of the general budget for services (yet is not one of the areas cuts are being made).

    smrenworth asked over 3 years ago

    Thank you for this thoughtful question; we know that public safety expenditures are a topic of interest for many people, particularly in light of national events and dialogue. Due to reduced revenue projections, all areas of the City budget are seeing reductions. The $92.7M total for the Safe Community outcome includes $48 million in Police Services, as well as $25 million in required payments to Poudre Fire Authority (PFA), and $17 million in Stormwater and flood mitigation services. 

    Affordable housing is a priority for the City and this City Council. Staff has reduced $401,000 in human services funding for 2020 in order to help address the current revenue shortfall; that funding is expected to resume in 2021. In addition, the City has hired an Affordable Housing Program Manager and begun developing a long-term Housing Strategic Plan; Council and staff are scheduled to discuss the plan at the Aug. 25 work session. The proposed 2021 budget includes substantial increases in housing affordability and homelessness programming, funded through reductions in the Police Services budget. The budget also proposes increased investment in providing services specifically for manufactured housing neighborhoods in the community.

    City Council has also created an ad hoc subcommittee to better study the Police Services budget, and specifically the balance and trade-offs in enforcement activities vs. other community investments. This work is underway and will continue into 2021, and may result in Council direction to further modify the public safety budget.

  • Share What is being done to improve mental health services and affordable housing? on Facebook Share What is being done to improve mental health services and affordable housing? on Twitter Share What is being done to improve mental health services and affordable housing? on Linkedin Email What is being done to improve mental health services and affordable housing? link

    What is being done to improve mental health services and affordable housing?

    Marjorie asked almost 4 years ago

    Most mental and behavioral health services in the community are coordinated by the Larimer County Behavioral Health Services division. In addition, the county is in the process of building a new behavioral health center that was approved by voters in 2018; it is currently scheduled to open in 2022.

    The City of Fort Collins is updating its Housing Strategic Plan, which includes strategies to address affordable housing. City Council and staff will discuss the plan update at the Aug. 25 Work Session. 

  • Share How can the City audit the performance of funded programs to aid Council in prioritization? on Facebook Share How can the City audit the performance of funded programs to aid Council in prioritization? on Twitter Share How can the City audit the performance of funded programs to aid Council in prioritization? on Linkedin Email How can the City audit the performance of funded programs to aid Council in prioritization? link

    How can the City audit the performance of funded programs to aid Council in prioritization?

    FredFortCollins asked over 3 years ago

    Thanks for the question. Each budget offer is tied to a strategic objective. City leaders review the status of each offer and objective quarterly to ensure things are on track or to make adjustments. Additionally, each strategic objective and budget offer has a series of metrics assigned to track and report our overall progress toward community goals. Many of these metrics can be viewed on the Community Dashboard.