CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The cost for police wages, pensions and administration services is expected to increase during the next fiscal year.
This is according to Cheyenne Police Chief Mark Francisco, who went over the department’s budget proposal during a city budget session Thursday. Since May 8, leaders with the City of Cheyenne have been meeting to discuss the city’s proposed $147.6 million budget for fiscal year 2025, which begins July 1. Several city departments, including Community Recreation & Events, the Mayor’s Office, the Cheyenne Police Department and Cheyenne Fire Rescue, have been expressing their budget requests throughout the past week.
After the city completes budget sessions with every department, the final proposed budget will go to the Cheyenne City Council for approval. The budget will appear at the council’s May 28 meeting for its second hearing, and the governing body will vote on the budget for a final time at its June 10 meeting.
On Thursday, Chief Francisco laid out his department’s goals for the upcoming fiscal year. These include growing the number of officers employed by the department, increasing officer wages and accounting for increased costs for the department’s patrol and parking divisions.
Administration
The Cheyenne Police Department’s administration budget has increased by $393,825 compared to the 2024 adopted budget — up from $4,566,526 last year to a proposed $4,960,351 for FY25.
Francisco said Thursday that he has job openings for two additional officers in the budget.
Additionally, law enforcement pensions have increased by $340,000 since 2022. This year, the Wyoming State Legislature passed an increase in pension contributions to the law enforcement fund.
The department is expecting the following changes to its administration, as outlined in the full budget:
- A rise in employee salaries by just over $2,000 per officer as part of a cost-of-living adjustment. The increase is largely a result of inflation.
- A $10,000 increase for maintenance supplies as a result of increased occupancy space at the Cheyenne Public Safety Center.
- An increase in the department’s rental budget by $10,074 to pay for a new contract for the Riverstone Bank parking lot.
- An increase of $7,800 to the computer software and maintenance budget.
- An increase in the equipment budget by $160,160 so the department can make the second of five payments for officer body cameras.
- An increase in the combined communications center budget by $20,000 to accommodate a contract cost increase.
- An increase in maintenance labor services by $14,900 due to the rising cost of janitorial services and maintenance of building equipment.
Patrol Division
The majority of the police department’s wage and benefit costs come from its Patrol Division. For the FY25 budget, Francisco is proposing a budget of $13,623,113 to account for the patrol’s payroll. The 2024 adopted payroll was $12,521,647, meaning this year’s proposed budget is requesting an additional $1.1 million for officer salaries.
One standout change in the Patrol Division’s budget is an increase of $40,000 for patrol overtime. The budget will help pay for officers taking on extra hours at public events such as parades and festivals and for special security.
Parking Division
Compared to the Patrol Division, the Parking Division’s budget only has a modest increase for the 2025 fiscal budget. The police department is asking for an additional $30,464 in funding for the division compared to last year — from $257,212 for FY24 to $287,676 for FY25.
The department has historically staffed one full-time and one part-time parking officer, Francisco said Thursday. The police chief intends to turn the part-time position into a full-time one. The cost to fund the full-time job comes out to around $48,000, but this pursuit is offset by dropping the part-time position.
“I’m sure you all know we’ve had a lot of parking discussions over the last year, year and a half,” Francisco said. “We feel like that staffing is not adequate for what we’re trying to do down there.”
The division is also saving $15,000 annually, as it is no longer utilizing barnacles for immobilizing vehicles.
Francisco noted during the budget meeting that revenue from parking fees is projected to fall, a trend that has continued over the past several years. Currently, the department’s total parking debt for outstanding fines is $236,000.
“We are still at 91% of collections,” Francisco said, “so what you see is a big number, but it’s obviously over almost a four-year period.”
Police goals
Currently, Cheyenne has 1.77 officers per 1,000 residents. Casper is comparable, at 1.86, and each officer handles over 400 incidents per year. In Cheyenne, every officer takes on just under 700.
Francisco wants to shift the department toward Casper’s 1.86 officers per 1,000 residents. This would translate to over 120 officers for Cheyenne’s current population. The department currently has 113 officers on staff and is swearing in two more in June, Francisco said.
“We’re doing a lot better than a lot of our fellow agencies around that are … struggling to fill their open positions,” Francisco said. “We consider ourselves lucky to be where we’re at right now.”
To access the city’s entire proposed budget, click here.
