Boulder County, is eliminating 90 positions due to a budget deficit, including laying off 31 employees and cutting roughly 60 vacant jobs. The county is also offering a voluntary severance package through December 1.
Additional workforce reductions are expected at the Boulder County Housing Authority and Boulder County Public Health, though exact numbers have not been finalized. County officials said these changes are part of a broader plan to close a structural budget gap, with projections showing spending will outpace revenue without cuts of $30 million to $40 million over the next three years.
The 2026 proposed budget includes a $13.2 million general fund cut, affecting staffing and $4 million in operating expenses. While hiring freezes are in place, the county will maintain commitments to staff the jail’s new alternative sentencing facility and expansion.
Officials cited inflation, uncertain state and federal funding, and volatility in property and sales tax revenues as key pressures. Department heads were instructed to prioritize equity and the county’s strategic goals when determining positions to cut.