Service Changes - General

• Can sponsorships and donations help keep these services running?

  While sponsorships and donations can help offset one-time costs, they are not a sustainable solution for ongoing operational expenses. For example, the City’s 4th of July Festival requires coordination across multiple departments, including Parks and Recreation for event planning, Public Works for traffic control and cleanup, and the Police department for public safety. These efforts involve significant staffing and resources beyond just the cost of fireworks or temporary facilities like sanitary stations. 

  In short, one-time contributions can only cover one-time expenses. The recurring costs of staffing and operations require reliable, ongoing funding that sponsorships alone cannot provide.

• How will these changes directly impact me as a resident?

  The changes will have varying impacts depending on the services you use. You may notice reduced hours at City facilities, fewer programs and events, slower infrastructure repairs, and increased fees for some services. While essential services remain prioritized, the changes aim to address a significant budget shortfall, meaning certain amenities and support programs will be scaled back or adjusted. Additional details can be found under the “Impacts to Specific Service Areas” section on the Service Changes for 2025 webpage.

• Were budget changes discussed as part of a public process?

  The City of Loveland is legally required to have a balanced budget and each year the City undertakes an extensive budget process that includes multiple opportunities for public involvement and awareness. Throughout 2024, budget reductions were discussed as part of the 2025 reduced services budget package. City staff prepared and presented this information as early as April 2024, and the budget was adopted during several public City Council meetings in October 2024.  These meetings allowed the public to learn about the City’s financial challenges, ask questions, and share feedback. Additional details about these meetings and events can be found on our City Budget Watch webpage.

  While the City values public input and strives to reflect community priorities in its decisions, financial realities often require making difficult choices to ensure that the City operates responsibly within its means. These decisions, which are not made lightly, are informed by data and a commitment to maintaining essential services and supporting long-term sustainability.

• What are the alternatives? Are there plans to restore these services in the future?

  Alternatives to fully restoring services are limited, and there are no immediate plans to bring back the reduced programs. Efforts to identify new revenue sources may be explored in the future, but these would require long-term planning and community support. The City’s main priority remains ensuring financial sustainability and focusing on critical needs.

• Where can the public go to see information about discussions around the adopted 2025 budget?

  Visit: letstalkloveland.org/budget

• Why are some of the services we love being reduced or removed?

  Reducing or removing services is necessary to responsibly address a significant and ongoing revenue reduction in the City’s budget. The City used a detailed methodology to evaluate all services, prioritizing public safety, legal obligations, and long-term sustainability. This process considered factors like costs, community impact, and risks to ensure the most critical services are preserved. We understand that these changes are difficult, especially when they affect services that enhance our quality of life. These adjustments were necessary to responsibly manage limited resources while meeting the City’s essential obligations.

• Why can’t revenue from marijuana sales, red-light cameras and speed vans cover the cost of the services that are being reduced?

  While each initiative may provide some benefit over time, they are not immediate or substantial enough to offset current budget challenges.

  Voter-approved local retail marijuana sales and their associated excise tax might represent a new revenue opportunity for Loveland, but this program is still in its early stages. Finalizing regulations, issuing licenses, and revenue may not be realized until 2027. Additionally, the operational costs of implementing and managing the program must be understood before any surplus revenue can be identified and considered for supporting the General Fund.  

  Similarly, the implementation of the red-light camera and photo-speed enforcement are aimed at making Loveland’s streets safer.  These systems are not considered revenue generating and revenue will be used to offset the cost of operations.

• Why does the City need to reduce or change services for 2025?

  The need for changes to the City’s service offering is multi-faceted. Since 2016, the costs of maintaining and providing services to the community have risen faster than available revenue. This challenge was compounded in 2024 when the City also lost a significant, ongoing multi-million-dollar revenue stream that supported the General Fund, which is critical for funding areas like public safety (police and fire), transportation, community spaces (parks, library, museum, Rialto Theater, the Chilson Recreation and Senior Center and Winona Pool), infrastructure projects, general government services, and support services for nonprofits, small businesses, and residents.

  Loveland’s 3% sales tax rate has remained unchanged since 1984, and the City must prioritize essential services and long-term sustainability while making difficult decisions about service reductions.