How Rock Springs is run
Who runs Rock Springs, 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 Rock Springs's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Rock Springs
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
Rock Springs city staff
263 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 55, Fire 39. FY2026-27. 229.32 of these full-time equivalents are in the general fund; the rest are water, wastewater and housing staff. City of Rock Springs · Jun 16, 2026
The budget lists positions and payroll totals by department. We found no posted pay list by employee; Wyoming has no statewide pay database. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Rock Springs 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 preliminary FY2027 budget faced a $3.15 million structural deficit. Revenue updates and cuts, including deferred street projects, brought the general fund into balance. The budget message says past years closed with deficits by relying on prior-year carryover. City of Rock Springs · Jun 16, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $20.6M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Keep a cash reserve equal to about three months of general fund spending, set by council resolution under state law. The city reports it as committed fund balance ($13.0 million at June 30, 2025), separate from the unassigned balance. City of Rock Springs · Dec 15, 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
- Sales and use tax$17.6M · 40%
- Cash carried over from prior years$12.3M · 28%
- Other state and local shared revenue$5.8M · 13%
- Taxes (property, auto, severance, franchise)$4.1M · 9%
- Charges for services$1.7M · 4%
- Miscellaneous revenue$1.7M · 4%
- Other (licenses and permits, fines, transfers in)$1.1M · 2%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$8.4M · 19%
- Fire$7.1M · 16%
- Streets$5.8M · 13%
- Non-departmental (incl. $1.7 million for joint 911 dispatch)$3.9M · 9%
- Family Recreation Center$3.3M · 8%
- Wataha Recreation Complex (golf)$2.4M · 5%
- Parks$2M · 4%
- Other departments$11.5M · 26%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Rock Springs levies 8 mills, the most Wyoming allows a city for general operations. Most of a property tax bill goes to schools.
11¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Rock Springs
- Schools (School District #1)44.7 · 60%
- Sweetwater County12 · 16%
- City of Rock Springs8 · 11%
- Western Wyoming Community College5.5 · 7%
- Solid Waste District #12.889 · 4%
- Weed and Pest0.894 · 1%
- Total (mills)73.983
2025 property tax rates for a home in the city of Rock Springs (Sweetwater County). Sweetwater County Treasurer
Who provides your services
Not everything in Rock Springs is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityRock Springs Police DepartmentCity of Rock Springs · Jun 16, 2026
- FireThe cityRock Springs Fire Department35 personnel on three 24-hour shifts from three stationsCity of Rock Springs · Jun 16, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of Rock Springs Water DepartmentCity of Rock Springs · Dec 15, 2025
- SewerThe cityCity of Rock Springs Water Reclamation FacilityCity of Rock Springs · Dec 15, 2025
- StreetsThe cityCity of Rock Springs Street DepartmentIncludes snow and ice removal and street sweepingCity of Rock Springs · Jun 16, 2026
- ParksThe cityCity of Rock Springs Parks Department26 park locationsCity of Rock Springs · Jun 16, 2026
- RecreationThe cityCity of Rock Springs Parks & RecreationFamily Recreation Center, Civic Center and the Wataha Recreation Complex golf courseCity of Rock Springs · Jun 16, 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 | SheridanWY | Rock SpringsWY | LaramieWY | GilletteWY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 20,015 | 22,936 | 32,284 | 34,024 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $194,000 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | $12,000 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $6,000 |
| General fund per resident | $1,163 | $1,935 | $1,423 | $1,363 |
| Debt per resident | $1,631 | $161 | $1,188 | $2,397 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $521 | $520 | $456 | $565 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 10.3 | 11.5 | 9.5 | 9.4 |
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).
What Rock Springs 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 Rock Springs
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineRock Springs has no city manager. We found no contract for the Director of Administrative Services, only the yearly department-head pay plan resolution. City of Rock Springs · Jun 16, 2026
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlinePosted council minutes name members who vote no or abstain, and list roll-call votes. City of Rock Springs · Jun 16, 2026
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public documentThe budget gives $122,000 in regular pay for the mayor and council together, not pay per person. City of Rock Springs · Jun 16, 2026
- No: Employee pay publishedThe budget shows payroll totals and positions by department. We found no pay list by employee or posted salary schedule. City of Rock Springs · Jun 16, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The general fund balance fell $5.0 million in FY2025, leaving $20.6 million unassigned. What level of unassigned reserves does the council want to keep?
- Sales and use tax, budgeted at $17.6 million, is the largest general fund revenue. How would the budget adjust if collections come in lower?
- The city's share of state pension liabilities was $11.9 million at June 30, 2025. How will higher contribution rates affect future budgets?
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