The City of Grand Junction City Council has approved the 2024 budget of $322.5 million. Each year, an important part of the budget process is hearing from the community regarding priorities, programs, and services. The City’s annual budget is adopted by City Council for a one-year period beginning January 1 through December 31 of each year.
City Council provides direction to staff for the budget through the development of the Strategic Plan in 2023 which identified outcomes for the next two years. The Strategic Plan is based on the long-term vision provided by the City’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan which was created with significant public input. The Strategic Outcomes outlined in the plan by city council include: 1) Placemaking, 2) Thriving and Vibrant, 3) Welcoming, Livable, and Engaging, 4) Safe and Healthy, and 5) Resource Stewardship. With the strategic outcomes as the blueprint, city staff prepare the annual budget while gathering input from the community. Budget meetings are open to the public and held both virtually and in-person. Additionally, public input can be shared on EngageGJ.org. The budget process is an 8-month process that begins in May of each year.
The 2024 budget adopted and approved by the Grand Junction City Council includes $172.2 million in operations costs (e.g. labor, operating, internal support) and $8.8 million in debt service. The majority of the operations costs are within the five largest departments of the city including Police, Fire, General Services, Utilities, and Parks & Recreation. The city’s 2024 capital budget is $141.5 million and is focused on several significant projects including a third new fire station funded by the First Responder Tax, the first year of construction for the new Community Recreation Center, the destination skate park at Emerson Park, expansion of the Persigo Wastewater Treatment Plant, and several transportation expansion projects. City Council also shows their commitment to community non-profit organizations with the approval of $984,083 for non-profit support for 2024. There is $6.5 million budgeted for housing initiatives including operating costs of the Homeward Bound Resource Center which opens on December 20, 2023 offering services during the day for the unhoused and other vulnerable individuals. The 2024 Adopted Budget and related documents are available online at GJCity.org