WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2026 |
Photo – Rawlins City Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo
The governing body in Rawlins approved next fiscal year’s budget for a second time, including funding for new vehicle purchases.
The current fiscal year ends on July 1st. Governments must pass their 2026 through 2027 budgets three times before that deadline.
The Rawlins City Council passed next fiscal year’s budget for the first time during its May 19th meeting. The budget contains fee increases for water, sewer, landfill, and recycling services. It also includes seven new city vehicles: two for the water department, two for the sewer department, one for the fire department, and two for the police department, at an estimated cost of $65,000 each.
Some, including Councilman Derek Elliott, questioned the logic of buying new vehicles while the city is facing millions of dollars in needed water infrastructure repairs. Speaking at the June 2nd Rawlins City Council meeting, Finance Director Laura Malone said the majority of the city’s municipal vehicles are over a decade old. She said the older trucks are transferred between departments when needed, but taken together, they have little remaining value.
Of the seven new vehicles put forward in the upcoming budget, Malone said the four assigned to the water and sewer departments will be paid for through enterprise funds, which do not use taxpayer money. By law, enterprise funds must be run like a business, replenished only through fees and related charges. She added that both enterprise funds are expected to show positive balances in the coming fiscal year, with the water fund at roughly $4.8 million and the sewer fund at $1.8 million.
Finance Director Malone said the old trucks need to be replaced, noting that the total number of city‑owned vehicles will not increase because the older ones will be disposed of.
The remaining three vehicles will be purchased with general‑fund money, which includes tax dollars. One of the trucks will go to the fire chief. Malone said the chief’s current vehicle is in poor condition, with repairs estimated to cost well above its value.
The other two vehicles are for the Rawlins Police Department. Malone said police vehicles require specialized equipment and can take years to be outfitted and delivered.
Malone said that last year the Rawlins City Council allocated funding specifically to replace outdated vehicles. Between the current fiscal year and the next, Malone said more than half of the requested vehicle costs are already covered through those accounts.
In addition to the vehicle purchases, Malone said the 2026 through 2027 budget includes $4.5 million for water infrastructure projects, including the Date Street booster station, $750,000 for asphalt repairs, and $15,000 to have city properties appraised ahead of a potential sale.
The Rawlins City Council voted to include $101,250 to support nonprofit entities, and a three percent increase to the city manager, municipal judge, and city attorney’s salaries.
The governing body passed the 2026 through 2027 fiscal year budget on the second reading. Citing his objections to the utility fee increases and vehicle purchases, Councilman Derek Elliott voted against the measure.
