How Erie is run
Who runs Erie, what it costs, and where your money goes
The city manager, council pay, the budget, your property tax bill and who provides each service, from Erie's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Erie
A town manager appointed by the Town Council runs the town day to day. The seven-member council, the mayor and six members elected from three districts, sets policy and adopts the budget. The council also appoints the town attorney, municipal judge and town prosecutor. Meredyth Muth has served as acting town manager since Feb. 25, 2026, under an agreement that runs to Dec. 31, 2026.
What they are paid
- Town matches her 401(a) retirement contributions, up to 10% of base salary
- Mileage for town travel in her own car at the federal rate
- Returns to her Director of Administrative Services and Operations job, with a 3% raise, when the council hires a town manager
- Six months' severance at her director salary if terminated without cause rather than restored
- Annual Erie Community Center membership
- Option to join the town's health insurance, with the council member paying the premiums
Erie city staff
319 full-time-equivalent positions, including Parks and recreation 94, Public safety 58, Utilities 41, Public works 40. FY2025 (audited report, budgeted FTE). Town of Erie · Jun 29, 2026
The audited report lists staffing (FTE) by function; the town's HR website lists pay grades and scales, but we found no pay list by employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Erie in the red?
Cities must pass a balanced budget, so "profit" and "deficit" mean something different here. The useful questions: does the city's everyday money (the general fund) cover its everyday costs, how much does it keep in savings compared with its own target, and how big are its pension and debt bills.
The city's own outlook
The 2026 budget plans to use $6.2 million of general fund balance. Budgeted revenue rises 8.3% and spending 4.7%. The budget assumes general fund revenue grows 4.1% a year on average, and the town says it will conserve resources until its commercial base grows. Town of Erie · Jun 29, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $22.3M (2025-12-31). The city's own target: The town keeps a general fund reserve of at least 25% of budgeted operating expenditures, $17.4 million based on the 2025 budget. Amounts above that are moved to the capital improvement fund. The city meets this target. Town of Erie · Jun 29, 2026
Bar: unassigned savings of $22.3M. Line: the amount the city's target calls for.
Why we skip the "budgeted deficit": many cities plan to dip into savings, then spend less than planned. The audited result tells you what really happened.
Where the money comes from and goes
The general fund only: the city's everyday money for FY2026.
Comes from
- Taxes$40.2M · 53%
- Fees and charges$12.5M · 17%
- Debt proceeds$7M · 9%
- Drawn from general fund balance$6.2M · 8%
- Permits, licenses and fees$3.2M · 4%
- Investment earnings$2.3M · 3%
- Other (pass-through aid, transfers in, reimbursements, fines, miscellaneous)$4M · 5%
Goes to (FY2026)
- Central charges (incl. transfers to capital projects and fleet, debt service)$18.5M · 24%
- Parks and recreation$14.4M · 19%
- Police$12.4M · 16%
- Public works$9.7M · 13%
- Planning and development$4.5M · 6%
- Town administration$3.9M · 5%
- Finance$3M · 4%
- Other (HR, economic development, environmental services, utilities, IT, communications, council)$9.3M · 12%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
These are the 2025 levies listed in the town's audited report for its Weld County part. Many neighborhoods also pay a metropolitan district levy, from 5.305 to 87.680 mills, which is not included. The Boulder County part of town has different county and school rates. The town's share is about 12% of this total.
12¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Erie
- St. Vrain Valley School District57.717 · 54%
- Mountain View Fire Protection District16.342 · 15%
- Weld County15.956 · 15%
- Town of ErieOperating 7.288, debt 2.094, trails and natural areas 4.00013.382 · 12%
- High Plains Library District3.044 · 3%
- Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District1 · <1%
- Total (mills)107.441
2025 rates for a home in Erie's Weld County part, in the St. Vrain Valley school district and the Mountain View fire district. Town of Erie · Jun 29, 2026
See what a Erie home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Erie is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityErie Police DepartmentTown of Erie · Jun 29, 2026
- Fire protectionSeparate districtA separate fire protection districtNot affiliated with the town.Town of Erie · Jun 29, 2026
- WaterThe cityTown water utilityTown of Erie · Jun 29, 2026
- SewerThe cityTown wastewater utilityTown of Erie · Jun 29, 2026
- StormwaterThe cityTown storm drainage utilityTown of Erie · Jun 29, 2026
- TrashPrivate companyPrivate companiesTown of Erie · Jun 29, 2026
- StreetsThe cityTown of ErieTown of Erie · Jun 29, 2026
- Parks, trails, open space and recreationThe cityTown of ErieTown of Erie · Jun 29, 2026
Compared with similar cities
The cities in this state closest in population that we cover. Read it for scale, not as a ranking: cities provide different services.
| Per city | FirestoneCO | EvansCO | ErieCO | ParkerCO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 20,129 | 22,500 | 40,904 | 65,985 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $230,000 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $3,600 | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,143 | $989 | $1,847 | $1,257 |
| Debt per resident | $3,556 | $1,617 | $1,354 | $486 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $299 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 7.0 | 5.9 | 7.8 | 7.4 |
Figures as shown in each city's section, divided by its population. Years differ by state, and pension figures are measured differently in each state (each city page says how). Evans and Erie pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Erie publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online Town of Erie
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes list ayes, nays and absences by member, e.g. on May 26, 2026. Town of Erie · May 26, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineThe Town Council page links to agendas, approved minutes and meeting recordings. Town of Erie
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public document Town of Erie
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026 budget plans to use $6.2 million of general fund balance, after the balance fell $3.1 million in 2025. How many more years can the town draw on reserves before reaching the 25% minimum?
- General fund revenue fell 9.3% in 2025 as use tax and permit revenue dropped. What changes if housing construction stays slow in FY2026-27?
- The acting town manager's agreement, at $230,000 a year, runs to Dec. 31, 2026. When does the council expect to hire a permanent town manager?
- The Water Fund is $201.1 million of the $393.6 million FY2026 budget. How will the town pay for it, and what does it mean for water rates?
The fiscal year runs Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. The proposed budget goes to the council before Oct. 15, and the council holds public hearings and adopts the budget by Dec. 15. The council approved the 2026 budget in November 2025. See who is running for council
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