The City Committee

The City Committee comprises volunteer business leaders who love our city, are passionate about its future, and are committed to applying best business practices, where appropriate, to improve the governance and operations of Colorado Springs’ city government and enterprises. We serve our fellow citizens by offering the City of Colorado Springs management consulting services, based on our team’s extensive and diverse experience, aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of local government. Our objective is to maximize the “return on investment” to the taxpayer as the City adopts these effective business practices and is able to offer the best services at the lowest overall cost.

Since our inception in 2010, The City Committee members have researched and analyzed city financial information, policy document, procedures and held many meetings with City staff to understand how the City of Colorado Springs runs its “business.” Our practice is to present our findings, in the spirit of collaboration, to elected officials, city staff, community leaders, and citizens at large with the aim of introducing innovation, new approaches and continuous improvement to city operations and services.

Economic cycles come and go. Financial tides rise and tides fall. At this moment in our country’s unique economic and political history, all citizens –whether individuals, businesses or public servants–can and should participate in defining appropriate solutions for more effective and efficient government. American ingenuity has always led to innovative solutions. The City Committee was formed, in part, to answer questions such as:

  • “What is the changing relationship between the economic challenges faced by our citizens and businesses compared to the capabilities of local government to perform its duties and ensure that the core services we rely on are delivered?”
  • “How do we create and manage a well-functioning and affordable community for our families and our children’s future while maintaining a high quality of life during these extraordinarily difficult times?”

In The News

Video: The city that outsourced everything
With pension bombs and bond defaults, the cities of America are looking at a bleak future, burdened by huge long-term liabilities and declining revenue to fund them. In some cities, the crisis means choosing between cuts to public services or massive tax hikes that will drive off businesses and families. In Sandy Springs, Georgia, they’re trying to decide where to invest their surpluses instead.  CLICK HERE for the full article and a video.
April 13, 2011

City Workers Get A Raise When Laid Up
Private-Sector Counterparts Get Less
Colorado Springs city government employees get substantial raises for not working when injured. They have a built in financial incentive to stay home, though it’s not clear whether any indulge it. CLICK HERE for the full article.
March 17, 2011

Big State Budget Cuts Won’t Be Fun
Hickenlooper Lives In Economic Reality
It’s a sad week in Colorado, after Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper on Tuesday proposed severe state budget cuts. If enacted by the Legislature, teachers will lose jobs, students will suffer, four state parks will close and state colleges will see less funding. Everyone will feel it.  CLICK HERE for the full article.
February 17, 2011

Do Budget Cuts Drive Efficiency?
There is an old adage in the business world: that the best way to find cost efficiencies is to cut budgets. Only when faced with a reduction in resources will an organization make the difficult changes to reduce costs. CLICK HERE for full article.
February 17, 2011

Council Punts Idea Of Learning City’s Total Pension Obligation
With only a couple months left in office, the Colorado Springs City Council passed on a proposal Monday to determine the combined pension obligations of the city government and its enterprises.  CLICK HERE for full article.
February 7, 2011

Most States Used “Rainy Day Funds” In Recession
Almost all U.S. states relied on their “rainy day funds” when the economic recession began to ravage their budgets, showing that the reserves will be critical during the next downturn and states should consider putting even more money away, a think tank said on Thursday.  CLICK HERE for full article.
February 4, 2011

Video: Christie Explains to Police Officer Why He’ll Have to Pay More for Health Insurance
You’d think that sooner or later New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s blunt exchanges with his constituents at town hall meetings would grow tiresome. But this one just might be his best yet.  CLICK HERE for full article.
February 1, 2011

Memorial Reveals PERA Replacement
In an e-mail to employees Wednesday, Memorial Health System’s leaders laid out the retirement plan they hope to implement if the city-owned hospital is eventually spun off as an independent nonprofit and leaves the state’s Public Employees Retirement Association.  CLICK HERE for full article.
January 26, 2011

City Council and Mayor “stunned”
by the cost of buying out the Memorial Hospital employees pension liability (PERA).
CLICK HERE for the full article.
January 25, 2011

Memorial Health System
$246M Pera Tab Sinks April Nonprofit Vote
Getting Memorial Health System out of the state’s Public Employees’ Retirement Association would cost a staggering $246.2 million, Colorado Springs City Council members learned Monday. The huge tab led the council to shelve plans to put a proposal to turn Memorial Health System into an independent nonprofit on the April ballot.  CLICK HERE for full article.
January 25, 2011

Pension Tension
The sweet retirement deal public employees enjoy just may spoil a few things for the rest of us. CLICK HERE for the full article.
January 23, 2011