Des Moines Budget Crisis and Public Input | Des Moines News

Des Moines faces a $12 million budget shortfall in 2028, blamed on a new state law limiting property tax revenue — and city leaders are turning to a controversial online “budget savings calculator” to crowdsource cuts. But residents are pushing back, calling the tool rigid, inaccessible, and misleading — forcing binary choices between eliminating services rather than letting them prioritize or propose alternatives. With public input still open until July, the city’s approach to balancing the books is sparking heated debate over transparency, equity, and who gets to decide what services survive. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/b58d54d75a79b118