Castle Rock ups investment in police, fire with 2025 budget

Castle Rock is planning an almost $400 million budget for 2025, with significant investments in public safety funding.

The $391 million budget dedicates $198 million to operations, $159 million for capital projects and $34 million for debt. The budget assumes that property taxes will stay the same and, optimistically, that voters in November will pass a .2% sales tax increase to fund growth in the police and fire departments.

Town council has initially approved the budget and will finalize it at a Sept. 17 meeting. 

The total budget is up about $60 million compared to 2024, with the town’s general fund seeing an increase from $78 million in expenditures to $82 million. 

Town Manager David Corliss said the budget prioritizes public safety, even if voters don’t approve the sales tax increase.

“We put our money where our mouth is,” Corliss said. “If we say something is important, but we don’t fund it, then we’re not being genuine with the public in regards to making it a priority.”

Next year, the town is planning to spend $6.3 million for a new fire station, as well as increase pay and retirement benefits for public safety employees. Of the town’s $82 million general fund, police and fire departments account for 67% of proposed spending.

If the sales tax increase passes, it would fund 10 more fire staff and 11 more police officers in 2025. 

Outside of public safety, the town is also planning a number of road projects, community amenities and parks and recreation work.

More than $16 million will go to pavement maintenance, while other major road projects include the continuation of Crystal Valley Interchange, upgrades on Crowfoot Valley Road and the beginning phase of widening Fifth Street.

“We’re not spending as much (on pavement maintenance), on an inflation adjusted basis, as we have in the past because of the reallocation of funds from the transportation fund to the general fund for police and fire purposes,” Corliss said.

Investments in recreation include funding the master plan for the Lost Canyon Ranch open space, renovations to Centennial Park and beginning work on a trail connecting Philip S. Miller Park to downtown. 

Other projects the town plans to fund next year are improvements to the historic Cantril School, which is hosting community classes, and establishing a youth commission. The town is adding two staff positions next year.

In 2025, the town estimates it will collect $104.7 million in taxes, $88.8 million in charges for service, $38.1 million in development fees and $117.6 million in other revenues, such as grants. Corliss said the town also plans to spend $42.4 million from its capital reserves. 

Colorado state law requires cities to have balanced annual budgets.

Related