How Cody is run
Who runs Cody, 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 Cody's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 11, 2026.
Who runs Cody
Cody has a mayor-council government. Voters elect a mayor at large and six council members, two from each of three wards. Since 1998 a City Administrator appointed by the council has run day-to-day operations, oversees all city staff and prepares the annual budget.
What they are paid
Cody city staff
The city posts no salary schedule or employee pay list that we found, and the FY2027 budget summary does not state a staff count. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Cody 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
Unassigned general fund balance: $9.3M (2025-06-30). City of Cody · Dec 2, 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.
Who provides your services
Not everything in Cody is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityCody Police DepartmentCity of Cody · Dec 2, 2025
- ElectricityThe cityCity electric utilityBuys wholesale power from the Wyoming Municipal Power Agency.City of Cody · Dec 2, 2025
- WaterThe cityCity water utilityCity of Cody · Dec 2, 2025
- SewerThe cityCity wastewater utilityCity of Cody · Dec 2, 2025
- Trash and recyclingThe cityCity solid waste utilityCity of Cody · Dec 2, 2025
- LandfillThe countyPark County Regional LandfillThe council approved a disposal service agreement on June 16, 2026.City of Cody · Jun 16, 2026
- Storm drainageThe cityCity storm drainage fundCity of Cody · Dec 2, 2025
- StreetsThe cityCity streets maintenanceCity of Cody · Dec 2, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity parks and recreation centerCity of Cody · Dec 2, 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 | CodyWY | JacksonWY | RivertonWY | Green RiverWY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 10,377 | 10,720 | 10,910 | 11,450 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not current (2023) | Not confirmed | $194,066 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $41,000 | Not confirmed | $12,000 |
| General fund per resident | $1,339 | $3,682 | $1,013 | $2,011 |
| Debt per resident | $332 | $124 | $359 | $116 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $694 | $1,044 | $490 | $1,011 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | 15.3 | 11.6 | — |
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 Cody 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 onlineCouncil minutes record approval of the City Administrator contract in March 2025. We found no posted copy. City of Cody · Mar 25, 2025
- Partly: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes name each member on split or recused votes. Most votes are recorded only as unanimous. City of Cody · Sep 15, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Cody
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public document City of Cody · Sep 15, 2026
- No: Employee pay publishedWe found no salary schedule or pay list on the city's Finance page or in budget documents. City of Cody
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 general fund budget is $13.90 million against $12.80 million in estimated revenue. How long can the general fund cover a gap of that size?
- The city's share of Wyoming Retirement System pension liabilities was $7.20 million at June 30, 2025. How does the budget plan for future pension costs?
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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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