Fall Workshop of the Aurora City Council, October 3, 2026

Aurora City Council’s Fall Workshop on October 3, 2026, focused on the proposed city budget and departmental spending amid a projected deficit. The City Attorney proposed eliminating three attorney FTEs, with estimated savings exceeding $500,000, and participating in five furlough days for another $181,000 in savings. Other proposed reductions included $5.9 million in Development Services, Planning, and Business Development, and a $450,000 reduction to the parks and recreation subsidy. Public Works said planned street work would remain intact and anticipated hiring a project- and program-management firm to help deliver capital projects; no award or contract amount was provided. Council supported adding one mobile mental-health response unit, estimated at about $243,000 annually, for placement on the budget board, while exploring whether opioid-abatement funding could support another unit. A proposed additional code-enforcement FTE also received the five supporters needed to go on the board. These were workshop directions for further budget consideration, not final budget approvals.

Council discussions also covered public safety technology, court staffing and systems, and possible future purchases. A proposal to eliminate two additional public defender positions failed. Council requested cost information on a potential audit of court and public defender case-management systems; staff also discussed evaluating off-the-shelf court software, with a $1.5 million figure mentioned but no decision made. APD’s proposed budget was described as increasing 6.9%, including a $1.8 million transfer of costs to a designated revenue fund; council debated Flock camera spending, but the transcript does not clearly establish a final vote on that proposal. IT described a limited Co-pilot pilot, and staff discussed existing Bluebeam functionality for development-plan review. No procurement awards or bid approvals were identified.