Superior’s preliminary 2027 budget would draw $850,000 from reserves
The $63.9 million proposal also calls for higher utility fees, expanded services and millions of dollars in capital projects.
Superior’s preliminary 2027 budget would draw about $850,000 from town reserves and projects additional withdrawals of roughly $500,000 and $350,000 in later years. The trajectory could reduce reserves from about $10.6 million to $8 million over five years.
The proposal totals $63.9 million across the town’s funds. Town Council is scheduled to continue reviewing it Sept. 14 and Sept. 21, with final approval tentatively planned for Oct. 12, according to the town’s 2027 budget information.
The budget calls for a 9.5% increase in water service and usage fees, a 7.5% increase in sewer charges and a 5% increase in storm-drainage fees. The town estimates those changes would add about $10 per month to an average residential bill, citing higher operating costs, capital maintenance, debt service, utility improvements and unfunded state and federal mandates.
The proposal also includes new positions and capital projects, including improvements on 88th Street, completion of a Public Works and Parks Maintenance and Operations Building, tennis-court improvements and more than $4.2 million in water, sewer and storm-drainage work. More than $4.9 million in other projects would be financed with proceeds from sales-tax bonds issued in 2025, including renovations at North Pool and South Pool and completion of the Pirate Park playground.
At a Sept. 9 meeting of the Open Space Advisory Committee, staff described the reserve pressure as a result of expanded programming and operating demands. A speaker said the town had grown from offering about four programs annually to 56. Staff said the council would need to weigh whether all current activities should continue, whether some work could be done more efficiently and whether outsourcing could lower costs, according to the meeting recording.
The Louisville King Soopers store opened in late June, earlier than the timing used in some previous planning assumptions. Town staff said they were still waiting for more current sales-tax data and had not quantified the store’s effect on the forecast. At an August Finance Committee meeting, staff said five retailers generate more than 70% of the town’s sales-tax revenue and described King Soopers as the biggest concern in the near-term outlook, according to the official meeting recording.