How Monument is run
Who runs Monument, 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 Monument's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Monument
A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day. The council sets policy, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
- Six months of town-paid medical and life insurance premiums after termination without cause
Monument city staff
The 2026 budget shows town-wide staffing (FTE) only as charts; we found no published pay list by position. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Monument 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.
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $8.8M (2025-12-31). The city's own target: The town's policy sets an upper goal for a general fund operating reserve of 20% of the average actual general fund revenue of the prior five years. Separately, $620,000 of general fund balance is restricted for emergencies. Town of Monument · Jun 30, 2026
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$10.8M · 75%
- User fees and charges$1.8M · 12%
- Transfers in$1.1M · 7%
- Investment earnings$500,000 · 3%
- Intergovernmental$300,000 · 2%
Goes to (FY2025)
- General government$8M · 54%
- Public safety (police)$3.6M · 25%
- Public works$1.6M · 11%
- Parks and recreation$856,099 · 6%
- Capital outlay$531,482 · 4%
- Debt service$54,945 · 0%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Monument is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- WaterThe cityTown water utilityTown of Monument · Jun 30, 2026
- Parks, trails and open spaceThe cityTown Public Works Department (parks)Town of Monument · Dec 1, 2025
- Municipal courtThe cityMonument Municipal CourtTown of Monument · Dec 1, 2025
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 | MonumentCO | FirestoneCO | EvansCO | ErieCO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 13,813 | 20,129 | 22,500 | 40,904 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $195,000 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $230,000 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $3,600 |
| General fund per resident | $1,065 | $1,143 | $989 | $1,847 |
| Debt per resident | $1,422 | $3,556 | $1,617 | $1,354 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $0 | $299 | $0 | $0 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | 7.0 | 5.9 | 7.8 |
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 Monument publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no council or mayor pay amount in the 2026 budget or the council packets we read. Town of Monument · Dec 1, 2025
- No: Employee pay publishedNo pay list by position is published; the town says it will propose pay plans with each year's budget. Town of Monument · Dec 1, 2025
Questions to ask your council
- General fund revenue exceeded spending by $2.1 million in 2025, and unassigned reserves reached $8.8 million. How does the council plan to use reserves above its policy goal?
- The town manager's base pay is $195,000, and starting in 2026 the council considers a merit raise each year. Will the council publish her review and any raise it approves?
The fiscal year starts Jan. 1. The charter requires a proposed budget by Sept. 30 and adoption by Dec. 15. For 2026, staff presented the proposed budget Sept. 2, Nov. 3 and Nov. 17, 2025, and the council adopted it Dec. 1, 2025, after a public hearing. See who is running for council
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Every number here was checked by hand against the linked document. Cities publish on different schedules, so years differ between sections; each figure says which year it describes. Spotted something wrong or out of date?
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