Woodland Park proposes $33.13 million budget, including $5.1 million for parks and roads

Woodland Park staff proposed a balanced $33.13 million budget for 2027, including about $5.1 million for park and road projects and $260,000 for compensation adjustments. The proposal is 2.9% higher than the 2026 budget, the city manager’s budget presentation shows.

The largest park allocations are about $2.3 million for Meadow Wood Sports Complex improvements, including pickleball courts and ice-rink upgrades, and $750,000 to begin construction at Berkshire Park. Another $2.05 million is proposed for road projects.

The roads selected for work will depend on contractor proposals and how much work can be completed within the $2.05 million allocation. Staff had not received proposals at the time of the presentation and said it did not expect to complete every road under consideration. The city manager also said staff had identified possible grants for Meadow Wood, but the proposal does not include grant money because the amounts and timing are uncertain.

The proposal assumes sales-tax revenue will grow 2% in 2027, while the city expects 2026 collections to finish about 7% below budget. The city manager attributed nearly all of that projected shortfall to weak collections in July and August and described the 2027 growth assumption as conservative. The projection concerns revenue, not an increase in the sales-tax rate.

The council reviewed the proposal at an Oct. 15 work session, where the mayor said no decisions would be made. The meeting agenda lists the budget presentation as a work-session item. The budget remains a proposal, not an adopted city budget.