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Colorado Municipal League announces 2026 legislative priorities
DENVER, COLO. – Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 – The Colorado Municipal League (CML) unveiled its 2026 legislative priorities as state lawmakers prepare for a challenging budget year and continued debates over local authority. With a projected state budget shortfall of approximately $850 million and ongoing uncertainty around federal funding, CML’s agenda emphasizes protecting municipalities from unfunded mandates, defending local land-use authority, and reinforcing the principle of “partnership, not preemption.”
Colorado’s cities and towns remain on the front lines of service delivery — maintaining roads and water systems, ensuring public safety, and planning for attainable housing — while facing increasing regulatory and financial pressures. CML urges lawmakers and the governor to work collaboratively with municipalities and to fully fund any mandates rather than shifting costs to local governments.
“CML’s 2026 Legislative Priorities continue our long-standing commitment to partnership, not preemption,” said Bev Stables, CML legislative advocacy manager. “At a time of fiscal uncertainty, it is more important than ever that state leaders respect local decision-making and avoid policies that impose costly mandates on communities without providing resources to implement them.”
“Simply put, state leaders should embrace a policy of ‘no money, no mandates,” said Kevin Bommer, CML executive director. “Not only should the General Assembly refrain from new unfunded mandates, they should also repeal existing mandates for which funding is taken away or was never provided.”
In recent years, municipalities have absorbed significant costs related to state mandates involving technology accessibility, law enforcement equipment, and environmental compliance. As lawmakers confront another difficult budget cycle, CML will advocate against shifting additional financial burdens onto local governments and will oppose policies that undermine home-rule authority.
“From land-use policy to infrastructure investment, our focus is ensuring cities and towns retain the flexibility and financial stability needed to serve residents effectively," added Stables.
Key highlights of CML’s 2026 legislative priorities include:
Unfunded Mandates
- Opposition to state mandates that impose new costs on municipalities without dedicated funding.
- Advocacy for clearer fiscal impact analysis on proposed legislation affecting local governments.
Local Land-Use Authority
- Opposition to state preemption of local zoning, planning, and development decisions.
- Support for collaborative, locally driven solutions to address housing affordability.
State and Federal Funding Stability
- Advocacy for predictable and sustainable state and federal funding for infrastructure, housing, public safety, and essential municipal services.
- Opposition to conditional funding that undermines local autonomy or ties grants to compliance with unrelated state policy objectives
CML encourages municipal officials to engage with state lawmakers by sharing local data, real-world cost impacts, and community perspectives to help inform policy decisions during the 2026 session.
For a full list of priorities and detailed explanations, visit https://www.cml.org/home/advocacy-legal/cml-2026-legislative-priorities.
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Colorado Municipal League (CML) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established in 1923 and represents the interests of 271 cities and towns. For more information on the Colorado Municipal League, please visit cml.org, call 303-831-6411 or stay connected on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.
CONTACT(S):
- Bev Stables, legislative advocacy manager, bstables@cml.org
- Kevin Bommer, executive director, kbommer@cml.org