Durango City Council asked for more time this week to review the city’s 2020 budget, a 300-plus page document that has been subject to review and scrutiny for months.

Operating expenses for the city of Durango in 2020 total $90.44 million, according to a draft ordinance presented Monday to Durango City Council.

The council plans to review the document for approval April 7.

The city in October proposed a budget outlining $94 million in spending, but the number came into question after staff discovered a number of typos, omissions and oversights, including an error that added $10 million in expenses.

City Council voted in December to approve the budget by a vote of 3 to 2.

The document provided to City Council this week was reviewed by certified auditors and public finance experts at the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, a state agency that provides technical assistance to municipalities, said interim City Manager Amber Blake.

“There’s always room for improvement,” she said. “I am more confident.”

The City Council does not feel rushed to approve a corrected spending document, said Mayor Melissa Youssef. It wants to make sure the document it approves is as accurate and transparent as it can be, she said.

The time and resources committed to ensuring the 2020 budget is accurate has given Youssef a sense of confidence in the future of city spending, she said.

But the city has work to do to ensure public confidence in municipal spending.

“No budget is ever 100% correct when dealing with $90 million, but we want to see it more correct than it ever has been before,” Youssef said. “Until then, we will be asking a lot of questions.”

bhauff@durangoherald.com