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Cheyenne adopts $74.5 million 2026 budget after council amendment and split vote
Summary
The Cheyenne City Council on June 9 approved a $74,517,876 fiscal 2026 general fund budget with a substitute amendment to add funding for a part‑time intern; three council members voted no citing equity concerns over executive pay increases.
The Cheyenne City Council on June 9 approved the city’s fiscal year 2026 general fund budget of $74,517,876, adopting a June 5 substitute amendment that adds $10,977 to hire a temporary part‑time council intern for the coming year.
The substitute amendment — which added $10,000 for a temporary part‑time line item and $977 for associated benefits and offset those costs by reducing $6,900 from miscellaneous department insurance and $4,077 from miscellaneous general discretionary — was moved and adopted before the council approved the main ordinance on final reading.
Council members said the public hearing requirement was met before the vote; there were public comments earlier in the meeting including remarks from local nonprofit leaders. Councilwoman Aldridge expressed opposition to the budget’s overall pay increases for some positions, saying she could not support a plan that she described as granting “substantial pay raises to a few individuals while the majority of employees receive little or nothing.” Aldridge said she would “be voting no this evening.” Councilmembers Moody and Layborn also recorded no votes; the council approved the budget as amended with three dissenting votes.
City staff and department heads presented the ordinance and work that produced the proposed budget; council discussion focused on fairness in compensation, a transparency request for a matrix showing how raises are applied, and the specific substitute to fund a council intern. The council indicated the budget must be adopted within 24 hours after holding the public hearing in order to meet state requirements.
The council approved the ordinance on final reading as amended; the substitute created the temporary part‑time position for the council and adjusted the insurance and discretionary lines to keep the budget balanced. No further implementation schedule or hiring timeline was provided during the meeting.
Council members and the public may expect more detailed compensation matrices and department‑level explanations in follow‑up materials or future budget discussions.
