Loveland City Council Approves Executive Raises Amid Budget Concerns

Raises come despite warnings about Loveland's constrained general fund and public backlash over the increases.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Despite warnings from the public that executive raises would be 'a hard pill to swallow,' Loveland City Council on Tuesday moved ahead with salary increases for its three direct reports - the City Manager, City Attorney, and Municipal Judge. The votes came after a financial presentation from the city's Chief Financial Officer warning that Loveland's general fund remains structurally constrained under its current revenue model.

Why it matters

The executive raises have drawn criticism from residents who feel the city's funds would be better spent elsewhere, especially given recent budget cuts and service reductions. However, council members argued the increases were necessary to bring executive compensation more in line with comparable Front Range municipalities and retain experienced leaders like the City Manager, who has over three decades of experience.

The details

The City Council voted 9-0 to grant raises to the City Manager, City Attorney, and Municipal Judge. The City Manager received a 15% raise, bringing his salary to $275,000. The City Attorney received a 10% raise, and the Municipal Judge received a 5% raise. All three also received 40 hours of executive awarded leave, and the City Attorney received a car allowance.

  • The votes took place on Tuesday, February 19, 2026.
  • Loveland's Chief Financial Officer Brian Waldes warned about the city's constrained general fund during a financial presentation prior to the vote.

The players

Brian Waldes

Loveland's Chief Financial Officer who warned about the city's constrained general fund.

Andrea Samson

Loveland's Mayor Pro Tem who voted in favor of the raises, citing the executives' work in saving the city money and building bridges with citizens.

Zeke Cortez

A Loveland City Councilor who requested the executive raise resolutions be moved from the consent agenda to the regular agenda to allow for discussion and public comment.

Pat McFall

The Mayor of Loveland who voted in favor of the City Manager's raise, citing his experience and ability to help the city out of its current problems.

Megan Eliezer

A Loveland resident who questioned whether the significant raises were warranted given recent budget cuts and service reductions.

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What they’re saying

“Every single one of our direct reports saves our city potential stress, saves us from potential crisis and potential division. They saved us significant money. They've built bridges, met with individual citizens — many of them in this room — and they are open and willing to repeatedly discuss matters of great concern. They're available 24/7, and extremely responsive.”

— Andrea Samson, Mayor Pro Tem (reporterherald.com)

“We are functionally borrowing off of our capital improvement plan going into 2026. Over time, we're going to pay a price in either business loss or other risk that can happen when you don't maintain the assets you have.”

— Brian Waldes, Chief Financial Officer (reporterherald.com)

“As a city, we're giving more of (the city's sales tax revenue) away to people and corporations that have millions and billions of dollars. This looks really bad. I'm okay with giving a reasonable and practical wage. I can tell you that I make nowhere near any of these salaries, and I think that with the money that we pay in taxes, it's important that it is spent wisely.”

— Megan Eliezer, Resident (reporterherald.com)

“He came in at a lower cost because he knew the city had already gone through a huge budget crunch. He's doing things other people have never done in the city to make it better, and I'd like to keep him around. You don't get the city out of the problem it's in today by undercutting the people you bring in.”

— Pat McFall, Mayor (reporterherald.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.