ROCK SPRINGS — Mayor Max Mickelson delivered a State of the City address to the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, emphasizing that governmental stability helps a community grow.
Mickelson framed his speech around institutional reliability, public safety, and the risks of deferred maintenance. He argued that stable and disciplined governance builds community trust better than any single program or initiative.
He pointed to a recent example of long term stewardship paying off. A January 2026 road scan by the Abandoned Mine Lands program found that Rock Springs’ street conditions exceed all national targets. Mickelson credited generations of city employees and elected officials for the result, saying good infrastructure is built slowly and lost quickly.
“In many communities roads are a symbol of plight,” Mickelson said. “In Rock Springs our roads are evidence of something else; that boring, consistent stewardship works.”
On public safety, Mickelson said police staffing has climbed from 70% in 2023 to nearly 90% today. He also said the city acquired new fire engines while saving taxpayers nearly $1 million without any reduction in capability.
Mickelson also said the city is modernizing more than 600 ordinances to eliminate contradictions and align regulations with current standards. He said the changes were not deregulation but a push for clarity and consistency.
The push for modernized ordinances and public safety is part of Mickelson’s plan to make the city more stable, attracting more business and families to the area.
“When a city gets its fundamentals in line, we create more than stability, we create possibilities,” Mickelson said.
