How Minden is run
Who runs Minden, 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 Minden's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Minden
The elected mayor heads the city government and appoints its top administrator and department heads. The council passes laws, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
- $1,200 yearly car allowance
Minden city staff
The budget shows salary lines by department but no position count or individual pay. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Minden 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: $2.4M (2025-09-30). The city's own target: The city has not adopted a minimum level for unassigned general fund balance. City of Minden · Jun 25, 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 FY2026-27.
Comes from
- Transfer from Sales Tax$5.8M · 26%
- Transfer from Sewer Plant Sales Tax$4.2M · 19%
- Transfer from Water & Electric$2.9M · 13%
- Recreation Enhancement Programs$2.3M · 11%
- Sanitation Charges$1.1M · 5%
- Other Taxes and Governmental Fees$1.1M · 5%
- Grants (federal, state, other)$888,136 · 4%
- Other (property tax, licenses, airport sales, interest, STEP transfer and more)$3.7M · 17%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$4.7M · 21%
- Administration$3.4M · 15%
- Streets$3.2M · 15%
- Fire$2.7M · 12%
- Recreation Enhancement$2.3M · 10%
- Recreation$1.4M · 6%
- Airport$1.3M · 6%
- Other (parks, IT, civic center, inspections, ward marshal and more)$3.1M · 14%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Minden is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityMinden Police DepartmentVoters elect the chief of police.City of Minden · Jun 25, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of MindenCity of Minden · Jun 25, 2026
- SewerThe cityCity of MindenCity of Minden · Jun 25, 2026
- ElectricityThe cityCity of MindenThe budget message credits savings to the city's transition to LEPA.City of Minden · Jun 25, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of Minden Street DepartmentCity of Minden · Jun 25, 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 | MindenLA | CrowleyLA | CovingtonLA | ThibodauxLA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 11,103 | 11,223 | 11,721 | 15,573 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $105,324 |
| Council member pay | $13,104 | $10,455 | $10,800 | $12,749 |
| General fund per resident | $1,985 | $1,284 | $2,080 | $2,157 |
| Debt per resident | $140 | $1,873 | $542 | $612 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $817 | $753 | $1,016 | $930 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | — | 14.0 | — |
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). Thibodaux pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Minden publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineMinden has no city manager. The elected mayor and five aldermen run the city. City of Minden · Jun 25, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe audit lists pay and car allowance for each council member and the mayor's pay and benefits. City of Minden · Jun 25, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- General fund spending was $19.6 million in FY2024-25 against $6.2 million of its own revenue, with $14.9 million of transfers covering the gap. How long can utility and sales tax transfers keep carrying the general fund?
- The FY2026-27 budget counts on $2,325,000 from Recreation Enhancement programs and spends $2,262,777 on them. What happens if that revenue falls short?
- Unassigned general fund balance was $2,369,590 on September 30, 2025, and the city has no minimum reserve policy. Should the council adopt one?
- The city's share of unfunded statewide pension liabilities was $9,072,666 in 2025. How does the city plan to cover it in future budgets?
The fiscal year starts Oct. 1. The City Clerk prepares the proposed budget, and a public hearing follows at least ten days after notice. The council held the hearing and adopted the FY2026-27 budget on Aug. 3, 2026, and amended it on Oct. 5, 2026. 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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