{"id":47,"date":"2026-05-08T22:34:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T22:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=47"},"modified":"2026-05-08T22:34:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T22:34:32","slug":"boulder-county-will-lay-off-more-employees-and-may-cut-programs-to-close-13-2-million-budget-deficit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=47","title":{"rendered":"Boulder County will lay off more employees and may cut programs to close $13.2 million budget deficit"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"136px\" src=\"https:\/\/everlit.audio\/embeds\/artl_XQlJkFYGjNa?client=wp&amp;client_version=3.1.7\" title=\"Everlit Audio Player\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>After cutting 62 jobs and losing roughly 70 more workers through voluntary severance, Boulder County is preparing for another round of layoffs and potential service reductions.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=46\">Boulder County proposal to limit multi-use trail access draws backlash from mountain bikers<\/a><\/p>\n<p>County officials say they must trim another $13.2 million from the 2027 budget to address a structural deficit driven by costs rising faster than tax revenue, the same amount cut from the current year\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n<p>About 70% of the reductions are expected to come from personnel, ensuring another round of layoffs across county government. If this year follows last year\u2019s timeline, many layoffs could occur before the end of 2026 as the budget is finalized.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>County spokesperson Gloria Handyside said it is too soon to say exactly how many people will lose their jobs, which programs may be affected or which departments will be hit hardest. The Boulder County Employees Union says workers are pressing for alternatives to layoffs and clear communication about what comes next.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The coming cuts could again affect both county workers and public services. Last year, reductions fell heavily on social services. Many of the eliminated positions were program specialist or caseworker roles that helped administer health care services and federally funded projects, or provided support to vulnerable residents, including children, older adults and\u00a0low-income families.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The county also ended several programs because of the cuts, including Parents as Teachers, a home visitation program that provided curriculum and educational support to disadvantaged families, and the foster care certification program. Foster care services are now being handled by outside nonprofit placement agencies. The county is also moving its High Fidelity Wraparound program, which supports children with serious mental health challenges, to a partner organization following state guidance that county human services departments can no longer act as HFW providers.<\/p>\n<p>The county\u2019s Office of Financial Management first publicized the structural deficit last year, saying expenses were consistently outpacing tax revenue. Officials projected the county would need to find $30 million to $40 million in savings by 2028. They also said uncertainty around federal and state funding added pressure to the county\u2019s finances.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe recommendations do not in any way imply that those programs do not provide value to the community,\u201d Jana Peterson, director of the county administrator\u2019s office, told commissioners during a Dec. 9 presentation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoulder County has benefited from the ability to fund some niche programs that really meet community needs in the past,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cUnfortunately, in our current revenue scenario, we\u2019re not going to be able to continue to provide those types of services going forward.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The county plans to provide more details about the 2027 budget cuts in early October, when staff are expected to present commissioners with a list of proposed positions to cut, followed by an opportunity for public comment. The county\u2019s total 2026 budget was $745 million.<\/p>\n<p>The county anticipates the 2027 budget will be\u00a0\u201cthe last year of cuts that are needed to stabilize county finances,\u201d Handyside said.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=45\">\u2018It doesn\u2019t feel good\u2019: Boulder councilmembers still reeling after airport vote to stay open indefinitely<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Trying to limit the impact on staff<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>While more than 130 people lost or left their jobs as a result of cuts, some were able to find other work with the county.<\/p>\n<p>Of the 62 people laid off, 30 secured new county positions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Departments are allowed to refill some positions for the employees who took severance, but they cannot replace all of that payroll. They must permanently cut 35% of the salary costs tied to those departing workers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Boulder County Employees Union, which is negotiating its first contract with the county, expects job losses this year to be similar to last year given the size of the planned cuts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As part of those negotiations, the union is advocating for alternatives to layoffs, including reduced hours, furloughs and giving laid-off employees priority to be hired back once the budget outlook improves. Union leaders are also pressing the county to communicate about layoffs earlier.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t have any say in who gets laid off,\u201d said union bargaining committee member Katie Arrington. \u201cBut we are going to continue to ask to support the notification of layoffs, and be a part of any meetings we can to help employees navigate those times.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Arrington said last year\u2019s layoffs were communicated to individual teams rather than the full county staff, creating what she called \u201ca rumor mill situation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>By contrast, she said this year\u2019s press release on layoffs was \u201ca good step in moving towards that better communication.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt gives employees more information and empowers them,\u201d she said. \u201cI hope that the countywide messaging about layoffs continues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=43\">Is Boulder\u2019s camping ban constitutional? Colorado Court of Appeals hears arguments<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After 62 layoffs and dozens of severance departures that disrupted social service programs, Boulder County officials say another round of cuts is coming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-government"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Boulder County will lay off more employees and may cut programs to close $13.2 million budget deficit - Boulder Moving Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=47\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Boulder County will lay off more employees and may cut programs to close $13.2 million budget deficit - 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