DENVER (KDVR) — The city and county of Denver announced it has completed layoff notifications to 169 employees “as part of a larger effort to balance the 2026 budget.”
In a press release on Wednesday, the Denver mayor’s office said the 169 city employees were notified and that there will be no additional layoffs or furloughs for the agencies impacted this year.
This comes after city workers waited for information on the layoffs when Denver Mayor Mike Johnston sent a letter to city and county employees in July that layoffs would begin on Monday.
On Monday, the mayor’s office announced that the city would be eliminating 928 positions as a result of the $200 million budget shortfall.
The layoffs were reportedly announced by the mayor’s office to affect 171 current positions. At the same time, 645 positions were already vacant and not to be filled, and 92 positions are expected to be transferred to alternative funding sources.
“Each and every single employee we said goodbye to this week has given their all for Denver. Our city owes them a debt of gratitude,” said Johnston. “Over the last three months, I have watched as our teams have come together to identify savings, do more with less, and find creative ways to provide the same world-class services to our residents. That shared sacrifice and commitment to excellence has saved hundreds of jobs and represents the very best of Denver.”
The city and county had a department-by-department breakdown as follows:
| General Fund Agency | Filled | Vacant | Transfers | Total | Total 2025 FTE (All Funds) | Filled % | Filled + Vacant% |
| Children’s Affairs | 10 | 2 | – | 12 | 31 | 31.8% | 36.6% |
| City Attorney’s Office | 11 | 27 | – | 38 | 244 | 4.5% | 15.6% |
| Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency | 5 | 22 | 17 | 44 | 97 | 5.2% | 27.8% |
| Community Planning & Development | 19 | 40 | – | 59 | 308 | 6.2% | 19.1% |
| Denver Fire | – | 16 | 2 | 18 | 1,168 | 0.0% | 1.4% |
| Denver Police | – | 10 | – | 10 | 1,945 | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| Denver Public Library | – | 99 | – | 99 | 870 | 0.0% | 11.4% |
| Department of Safety | – | 29 | – | 29 | 516 | 0.0% | 5.6% |
| Economic Development & Opportunity | 7 | 15 | 4 | 25 | 145 | 4.8% | 14.8% |
| Emergency Management | – | 2 | – | 2 | 19 | 0.0% | 10.8% |
| Excise & Licenses | 3 | 5 | – | 8 | 56 | 5.4% | 14.4% |
| Finance | 6 | 56 | 2 | 64 | 433 | 1.4% | 14.2% |
| General Services | 4 | 20 | – | 24 | 164 | 2.4% | 14.7% |
| Housing Stability | 2 | 12 | 3 | 17 | 122 | 1.6% | 11.5% |
| Human Resources | 18 | 13 | – | 31 | 158 | 11.4% | 19.6% |
| Human Rights & Community Partnerships | 9 | 8 | – | 17 | 45 | 20.0% | 37.8% |
| Mayor’s Office | 3 | 8 | – | 11 | 46 | 6.5% | 23.9% |
| Parks & Recreation | 8 | 53 | 17 | 78 | 1,232 | 0.6% | 5.0% |
| Public Health & Environment | 16 | 17 | 19 | 52 | 371 | 4.3% | 8.8% |
| Sheriff | – | 61 | – | 61 | 1,078 | 0.0% | 5.7% |
| Social Equity & Innovation | 10 | 2 | – | 12 | 52 | 19.2% | 23.1% |
| Special Events | – | 0.3 | 7 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 0.0% | 4.5% |
| Technology Services | 7 | 42 | – | 49 | 352 | 2.0% | 13.9% |
| Transportation & Infrastructure | 31 | 108 | 21 | 160 | 1,562 | 2.0% | 8.9% |
| Total | 169 | 666 | 92 | 927 | 11,023 | 1.5% | 7.6% |
“Approximately half of the $200 million funding gap will be resolved by eliminating these positions – the vast majority of which are vacant – while the other half will be solved through other cost-saving measures,” said the city and county in a press release.
The impacted employees are said by the city and county to receive the following:
- 30 days of paid administrative leave
- 2-8 weeks of severance
- 60 days of healthcare coverage
- Outplacement services to help employees impacted find new jobs
The mayor’s office also noted that Human Services will be undergoing its own “cost-saving plan,” and Arts and Venues is “undertaking a process” for the office of special events and is expected to bring a proposed consolidation to the city council in the fall.
Parker Gordon
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