The Denver City Council on Monday struggled to trim its $4.5 million budget but fell short of meeting Mayor John Hickenlooper’s request to cut the elected officials’ spending by 7.2 percent.
As the mayor prepares the 2010 budget, he has asked the council along with all city agencies to find cost savings or revenue increases. The mayor is projecting a $70 million budget gap in next year’s general operating budget of $950 million.
On Monday, the council agreed to $184,236 in cuts to its budget, or about 4.09 percent.
Council members Carol Boigon and Paul Lopez said they feared the cuts will make it harder for them to deliver services to constituents and would harm the legislative branch of government.
“We are at the edge of being incapable of performing our functions,” Boigon said.
Council members Jeanne Faatz and Charlie Brown countered that the council risked looking elitist if it avoided making the same level of reductions as other city agencies.
The salaries of council members are set by ordinance every four years, and the state constitution and city charter bar any changes to those salaries during those four years, although council members are free to write a check to help the city’s operating budget.
The council did agree to give up the $22,000 normally allocated for travel, as well as $4,000 for staff training and the $6,000 for meals, including the pizzas and Chinese food provided during the weekly evening council meetings. The council also will cut a total of $130,000 from the amount normally allocated to office budgets.
Each of the 13 council members receives $233,000 or $247,000 annually to run their offices. The sum covers the council members’ $78,000 salary, plus that of up to two aides, rent and office supplies.
Council members Boigon, Doug Linkhart and Chris Nevitt, whose offices are in the City and County Building, receive the lower sum.
Council President Jeanne Robb said council members might want to move their offices to the City and County Building to save money, but she warned that there is not enough room for all council members to make the move.
Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com
