COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — As the mayor of Colorado Springs navigates a budget shortfall of about $11.5 million, he's asking the public to help with the city's cleanliness effort.
Mayor Mobolade cited the following reasons for the shortfall: a decrease in sales tax, high interest rates, and global economic factors such as tariffs. The mayor explained that 60 percent of the city's budget comes from sales tax, and cited a report from the University of Michigan that has found consumer sentiment is at one of the lowest levels since they started keeping track in 1946.
"I don't believe the best use of your taxpayer money is just keeping our city clean," Mayor Yemi Mobolade said Wednesday. "It's a very important priority of mine and the entire city, but I want to shift it to a shared responsibility where our residents also participate in our city's cleanliness effort. We have five divisions across the city that all contribute to the "Keep it Clean" initiative."
The "Keep It Clean COS" is a citywide effort to remove trash from medians, streets, and other public rights of way.
The mayor added in his monthly briefing that public safety is a number one priority, but even those departments won't be immune from cuts. The future of Fire Station 24, which is being built at Interquest Parkway and Powers Boulevard, is uncertain. Click here to read more about what the mayor had to say about Fire Station 24.
The mayor added that the average person will feel the shortfall, but he believes the impact will be minimal. He said that he believes issues like road repairs and potholes will still be addressed, but not as quickly as they have been in the past.
Mobolade didn't share specifics on how the shortfall will be addressed, but he gave overall bullet points on how he will be addressing it. The plan of attack includes asking departments to slow spending, such as holding vacant positions, reducing discretionary spending and tightening the belt in other areas.
"Let me be clear, we're not waiting for a crisis," Mobolade explained. "We're not panicking either. We are planning the 2026, budget process is already underway."
The department heads are expected to meet for about six hours for the budget prioritization process.
If you want to explore the Colorado Springs budget yourself, you can do so through their Open Budget COS tool by clicking here.
Erosion concerns along a busy Colorado highway
A News5 viewer reached out concerned about erosion along Highway 24.
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