Boulder freezes hiring amid city budget crunch

BOULDER — Boulder city officials have decided to freeze municipal government hiring for the remainder of 2025 in an effort to close a multi-million-dollar budget gap.

“Concerned about a potential $8 (million) to $10 million shortfall, the City of Boulder is taking several financial steps to save costs for the remainder of 2025,” the city said late last week. “The most impactful of these is a hiring freeze for nearly all vacant positions between now and Dec. 31.”

A few exceptions to the hiring freeze “will be made for critical roles, such as those necessary to ensure public safety and water quality.” Any exception would need to be approved by Boulder city manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde. 

“We do not take this step lightly, but we, like many other local governments, are facing challenging conditions,” Rivera-Vandermyde said in a prepared statement. “We have a responsibility to ensure we can fulfill our obligations to serve our community within a balanced budget.”

Boulder has taken in “(l)ower-than-anticipated collections” sales and use taxes, property taxes, utilities franchise fees and marijuana taxes, the city said. 

“These trends are occurring against a backdrop of economic uncertainty,” according to Boulder officials. “Inflation and tariffs may be causing changes in consumer behavior.” 

Beyond hiring freezes, Boulder city departments have been directed “to look for opportunities to underspend its allocated budget over the next five and a half months,” the city said. Budget increases and new positions are unlikely to be proposed in 2026.

“We plan to take a thoughtful approach to all proposals, especially those that will result in changes in offerings or service delivery to our community,” Rivera-Vandermyde’s statement said. “We do want to be transparent, however, that the combination of staff vacancies and reduced operational and programmatic spending could affect what we can provide as local government. We’re asking for our community’s understanding and patience.”

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