City of Des Moines Tables Additional Budget Cut Discussions After Updated Budget Calculations

Des Moines, Iowa - Monday, October 19, 2026 - The City of Des Moines is putting a hold on further budget discussions. City Council was shown that already approved cuts have closed the budget gap for Fiscal Year 2028. Fiscal Year 2029 discussions will resume next year.

A summer of public budget conversations, feedback, and tough decisions led to the Des Moines City Council approving $11.5 million in cuts for the Fiscal Year 2028 at its September 14^th meeting.

In May, the City announced that it faced an estimated $12 million budget gap for Fiscal Year 2028 due to recent changes in state property tax legislation. This morning, City Manager Scott Sanders and Finance Director Nick Schaul presented the Des Moines City Council with an option for an updated timeline that concludes Fiscal Year 2028 work and delays Fiscal Year 2029 budget decisions until next year.

"Our original intent was to solve the projected budget gap for the next two years through this year's process," City Manager Scott Sanders said. "Given the Council has identified and approved enough solutions to balance next year's budget, we have the option to wait until next year to resolve the Fiscal Year 2029 shortfall."

The latest analysis narrowed the expected FY28 gap to $11.5 million leaving a balanced FY28 budget after incorporating revised projections of interest income, updated valuation interpretations and current information from the Polk County assessor.

"Over the summer, we heard from our residents who are passionate about the city services Des Moines provides," Mayor Connie Boesen said. "We saw their priorities reflected in the package of cuts that Council passed last month, but we also understand how difficult those cuts were for our residents. Budget cuts result in real and valuable services being taken away from our residents. Extending our process will allow us more time to study the impacts of service reductions, accurately project future shortfalls, and preserve as many city services as possible."

The City Council will produce the required final documents, hold public hearings, and ultimately vote to approve its Fiscal Year 2028 budget in early 2027.

Contact
Peter Zemansky
Communications Manager, City Manager's Office
(515) 210-6586
[email protected]

About the City of Des Moines
The City of Des Moines is Iowa's capital city, and our 17 departments serve more than 214,000 residents and 46 neighborhood associations. Des Moines is a leader in sustainability and provides its residents with vibrant neighborhoods, a lively downtown, and abundant leisure opportunities.
Des Moines continuously improves neighborhoods, public safety, and quality of life by offering exceptional city services and reliable infrastructure while fostering an involved and compassionate community for all who visit and live in Des Moines.
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