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Aurora’s proposed 2026 budget, which includes controversial staffing cuts to public safety departments, is heading towards final approval by the City Council on Tuesday.

The city is proposing a $680.8 million budget for 2026, which is $78.8 million less than this year’s. While most of the year-to-year change could be attributed to a one-time increase in revenue from bonds the city took out this year for big construction projects, the general operating fund proposed for 2026 also saw cuts, including to roughly 140 positions.

Mayor John Laesch has been putting a particular focus on the city’s budget since the first moments he took office. During his inauguration speech in May, he said the city was left in “serious debt” because of past mayors’

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