Arvada approves $412.4 million 2027 budget without Flock camera request
The 7–0 vote adopted the spending plan, including a $3.34 million pay-plan increase; staff said it would reprioritize the withdrawn $24,000 camera request.
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The Arvada City Council approved its $412,447,446 fiscal 2027 budget 7–0 on Oct. 20, voting on the budget ordinance’s final reading. The council also unanimously approved related resolutions for the capital-improvement budget and employee pay plan.
The adopted budget does not include the roughly $24,000 request for Flock cameras. Staff told the council that Police Chief Ed Brady had asked to withdraw the request after the budget’s first reading. Staff said it would reprioritize the money within the budget and report back after deciding where to direct it; the council did not specify a replacement use at the meeting.
The approved pay plan adds $3,337,863, a 3.86% increase over 2026, staff said. It combines salary-range adjustments and step increases, so the percentage describes the plan’s overall cost, not a uniform raise for each employee. Staff said the cost was included in the budget and fit within the city’s 10-year financial plan.
Staff described 2027 as a peak year for capital spending, citing large utility, transportation and bridge projects. The city planned about $10 million in street spending in both 2026 and 2027, which staff characterized as nonrecurring. Staff forecast a return to a more normal growth pattern in 2028 and 2029, more in line with ongoing revenues.
Separately, the council voted 7–0 to certify the 2026 property-tax levy at 4.31 mills, unchanged since 1992. Staff estimated it would generate just over $10 million in taxes collected in 2027 to support city services.