How Cheyenne is run
Who runs Cheyenne, 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 Cheyenne's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Cheyenne
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
Cheyenne city staff
655 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police (general fund) 137, Fire and EMS (general fund) 104. FY2026-27. City of Cheyenne · Jun 8, 2026
The budget lists budgeted pay for each general fund position title, not by employee. Wyoming has no statewide pay database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Cheyenne 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 FY2027 general fund budget is balanced as state law requires, using $3.07M transferred from reserves. The city calls its outlook cautiously stable, citing uneven sales tax collections and state tax relief measures as risks. City of Cheyenne · Jun 8, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $56.6M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Keep unassigned general fund reserves of at least 120 days of budgeted operating spending. If reserves fall below that, the city must restore them within two fiscal years. The city meets this target. City of Cheyenne · Dec 23, 2025
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
- Intergovernmental (state-shared sales and use tax and other state and federal distributions)$47.4M · 57%
- Taxes and special assessments (property tax, franchise fees)$21.4M · 26%
- Licenses and permits$3.6M · 4%
- Transfer from reserves$3.1M · 4%
- Charges for services$2.3M · 3%
- Interest$1.9M · 2%
- Other (miscellaneous, transfers in, grants, fines)$4.1M · 5%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$21.3M · 25%
- Fire and rescue$16.5M · 20%
- Community recreation and events (parks, recreation, golf, cemetery)$11.4M · 14%
- Miscellaneous (transfers, support agencies, citywide costs)$10.7M · 13%
- Compliance (building, code enforcement, IT, animal control, risk)$7.2M · 9%
- Mayor's office (incl. city attorney, HR, municipal court)$5.5M · 7%
- Public works$5.3M · 6%
- Other (engineering, planning, treasurer, city clerk, council)$6.1M · 7%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Cheyenne is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityCheyenne Police DepartmentCity of Cheyenne
- FireThe cityCheyenne Fire RescueCity of Cheyenne
- EMS (emergency response)The cityCheyenne Fire RescueFire crews respond to EMS calls and coordinate with ambulance providersCity of Cheyenne
- Water and sewerThe cityCheyenne Board of Public UtilitiesCity of Cheyenne · Dec 23, 2025
- Trash, recycling and landfillThe cityCity of Cheyenne Public Works, Solid WasteCity of Cheyenne
- City streets and storm drainsThe cityCity of Cheyenne Public Works, Street & AlleyCity of Cheyenne
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Cheyenne Community Recreation and EventsCity of Cheyenne
- Public transitThe cityCity of Cheyenne Public Works, TransitCity of Cheyenne
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 | LaramieWY | GilletteWY | CasperWY | CheyenneWY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 32,284 | 34,024 | 58,771 | 66,507 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $194,000 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $133,277 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $6,000 | Not confirmed | $24,000 |
| General fund per resident | $1,423 | $1,363 | $1,003 | $1,259 |
| Debt per resident | $1,188 | $2,397 | $380 | $631 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $456 | $565 | $527 | $576 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 9.8 |
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).
What Cheyenne publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online City of Cheyenne · Jun 8, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Cheyenne
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget states the mayor's $110,000 salary and a $216,000 total for council members' pay, not a per-member amount. City of Cheyenne · Jun 8, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Cheyenne · Jun 8, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2027 general fund budget uses $3.07 million from reserves while unassigned reserves stood at $56.6 million, far above the 120-day policy. How much should the city keep above its target?
- Building permits for data center projects helped the general fund add $12.5 million in FY2025. The FY2027 budget expects $3,581,900 from licenses and permits. How is the city planning for permit revenue that may not repeat?
- The city's share of state pension plans was $38.3 million unfunded at June 30, 2025. How do rising required contributions affect future budgets?
The fiscal year starts July 1. Departments submit narrative budget reports by Jan. 31, and the mayor delivers the budget to council by May 1. Council holds department work sessions and three readings in May and June; the FY2027 budget hearing and third reading were June 8, 2026. See who is running for council
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