Joint Budget Committee

Thursday, February 26, 2026·2h 11m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Joint Budget Committee advanced multiple budget-balancing transfers and staff-initiated reductions for the Department of Personnel while deadlocking on the fate of the Sustainability Office — leaving it with no state funding by default — and deferring the Colorado WINS housing pilot pending a broader compensation discussion. The Burnham Yard property, its entanglement with HPTE, and a potential Denver Broncos purchase generated the sharpest debate of the hearing.

Key Actions

·Burnham Yard / ARPA-SLRF Transfers – Enterprise Liability & CleanupPassed

+ 12 more actions

Controversies

Burnham Yard cleanup costs — enterprise responsibility versus general fund obligation

Rep. Taggart argued 'when an enterprise takes on and purchases an asset, they take on all the liabilities associated with that asset, and they don't, in my humble estimation, have the opportunity to then slide it back to the citizens of Colorado by way of the general fund,' while Vice Chair Bridges countered 'there's no way for us to not do this, no matter who gets it. It's like no one will buy this unless this happens, Broncos or otherwise.' Senator Amabile added that citizens of Colorado should not be giving a gift to the Denver Broncos and the property should go to the highest bidder.

+ 2 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“When an enterprise takes on and purchases an asset, they take on all the liabilities associated with that asset, and they don't, in my humble estimation, have the opportunity to then slide it back to the citizens of Colorado by way of the general fund. If you buy an asset within the enterprise, you're responsible for that asset for good or for bad. The gain, if there's a gain. The loss if there's a loss.”
Representative Taggart — Taggart was arguing that HPTE, which purchased the Burnham Yard property for $50 million, should bear cleanup costs rather than shifting them to the general fund ahead of a potential sale to the Denver Broncos.

+ 3 more quotes

Votes

Backup recommendation — fund only the Sustainability Office director (R4BA2)Failed

No (4)Taggart, Kirkmeyer, Sirota, Amabile

Staff recommendation — full elimination of Sustainability Office state funding (R4BA2)Failed

No (3)Bridges, Moblay, Brown

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TranscriptPreview

It's. You'll come to order. We have figure setting for the Department of Personnel. Ms. Bova, where shall we begin? Thank you, Madam Chair. Julia Bova, JBC Staff presenting figure setting for the Department of Personnel. Let's begin. Is this on? Do you see the light on? You just have to lean into that one or talk real loud. Let's begin on page one with the memorandum before figure setting. This memo is to inform the committee about a general fund reversion from the 2526 long bill for the department. The department reached out at the end of January letting staff know that they are not planning on using a one time general fund appropriation that was approved as a decision item last year for private lease early termination. The reason and this was set aside through a footnote for the office of the State architect. And this is because it was going to be a private lease early termination for the Department of Higher Ed. And the department decided not to move forward with that. Leadership is currently reevaluating their workspace needs and the governor announced an initiative to consolidate the functions of the post secondary and workforce agencies…

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