Mayor Mike Johnston shared his proposed 2026 budget with the Denver City Council, employees and the media on Monday.

The new budget would close next year’s projected $200 million deficit.

The city does not expect to continue running a deficit and would not spend any more money from its savings, though it would not fully replenish its reserves either.

“We have now closed a $200 million budget gap while making sure we’re both protecting the core public services,” Johnston told city employees at an internal meeting on Monday morning. The proposal will go before the Denver City Council and could be amended in the coming weeks.

In total, the city’s general fund spending would shrink to $1.66 billion, a reduction of about 5.8 percent, or about $102 million, compared to the 2025 budget. But t

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