Mayor Yemi Mobolade presented a balanced 2024 City Budget to Colorado Springs City Council Monday, Oct. 2. The General Fund budget for 2024 will be $428.3 million, which is $7.2 million more than the 2023 General Fund budget, or a 1.7% increase. The sales tax revenue budget is flat compared to the 2023 budget and a 2.5% increase over the 2023 end-of-year forecast. City Council’s role is to adopt the City budget, with or without amendment, and appropriate funds. View the highlights and upcoming important budget dates. 

Are you ready Colorado Springs? It’s National Preparedness Month and we’re talking about how local emergency responders prepare for emergencies. Mayor Yemi is joined by the director of the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management, who emphasizes the need for YOUR help in being ready for local emergencies. 

Colorado Springs Airport (COS) saw strong growth in passenger traffic during the month of August. In anticipation of the upcoming holiday season, travelers will soon have the convenience of nonstop flights to San Antonio (SAT), San Diego (SAN), and Houston (HOU) on Southwest Airlines for select holiday dates in November, December, and January. Southwest has also announced that Houston (HOU) service will extend beyond January to meet passenger demand. The "ElevateCOS" concourse modernization project has also begun, aiming to enhance aging terminal infrastructure, accessibility, and sustainability initiatives. 

The City of Colorado Springs and emergency responders conducted a full-scale exercise at the Colorado Springs Airport Thursday. The FAA mandates that airports conduct these types of full-scale exercises every three years.

The Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services department is now accepting proposals from local businesses, organizations, and community partners interested in renting space on Saturdays for events in the Westside Community Center (WCC). On Oct. 3, the community center will also expand its operating hours to allow for evening programming.

The public is invited to provide comment and input on the proposed addition of a new funding strategy for the use of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds by the City of Colorado Springs. The proposed amendments would add Section 108 financing as a funding resource and strategy in the 2023 Annual Action Plan and 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan. This would allow the City to access low-cost, flexible financing for construction of the new Colorado Springs Senior Center.

The 10^th annual Creek Week is coming up in just a few days, and it’s a great way for volunteers to give back to our community. Find out what’s involved, why it’s important and how you can join the effort to make our city even more beautiful!

At the 2023 State of the City address former Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. “John Suthers has served our city and our state through dedicated public service for 35 years,” said Mayor Yemi. “It is my honor to present him with the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his remarkable career and positive impact on our city.”