City of Fort Morgan will completely redo their budget calendars for 2027 due to the Cargill shutdown

At this week's City of Fort Morgan City Council meeting, City Manager Brent Nation addressed the 2027 Budget Calendar before the full council. With everything that is happening with Cargill and the facility, the City of Fort Morgan needs to plan for the worst-case scenario, as they will be completely redoing the budget calendars.

As of the meeting, which took place Tuesday at 6 pm, it had been 75 days since there was any production done at the meat plant. The city is feeling those effects with the 2026 budget, with the loss of revenue, with direct utility sales alone.

There is an immediate hiring freeze for the City of Fort Morgan for 2026, as well as an immediate freeze for any items/projects that are on the Capital Budget that haven’t been started or approved. All items/projects that have been previously approved WILL move forward and be completed.

All city departments have been asked to cut 5% out of the 2026 budget. For 2027, the hiring freeze will remain in place, as they will need to cut their budgets by 15%. This is due to the predicted loss of about $15 million in revenue, out of the $100 million budget. It may require a reduction in the workforce for the city, so layoffs are possible, as Mr. Nation will be consulting with the city attorneys for the legal procedures for this.

Fort Morgan City Manager Brent Nation addressed the Fort Morgan City Council on Tuesday, July 7, as the city faces budget cuts due to the Cargill meat plant shutdown