Sweetwater County's legislators spoke and listened to constituent concerns during a Town Hall meeting at Western Wyoming Community College.
While the Wyoming Legislature's 2024 Budget Session is underway, having convened on Monday, February 12, local legislators from Sweetwater County prepared beforehand by receiving feedback from the community.
A legislative town hall meeting was hosted by the Sweetwater County GOP at Western Wyoming Community College on February 1, and Rep. J.T. Larson, Rep. Cody Wylie, Rep. Clark Stith, Rep. Tony Niemiec, Rep. Bob Davis, Rep. Scott Heiner, Sen. Stacy Jones, and Sen. John Kolb all gathered to discuss this year's legislative session and hear from constituents.
"I appreciate you all being here and being civically engaged," Rep. Larson told the roughly 40 people in attendance.
Starting off, the legislators explained that this session is a budget session, which means the state budget will be the primary focus, so it will be harder to get other things done. Rep. Wylie explained that any bills going in will need a two-thirds vote to pass.
One of the main topics that came up during the town hall was the question of property tax and potential plans for property tax reform, including the consideration of the much-debated People's Initiative to Limit Property Tax in Wyoming through a Homeowner's Property Exemption.
"Something's going to happen this year," Sen. Kolb said, explaining that there is no way for the legislature to avoid the subject of property taxes.
Rep. Heiner expressed the opinion that the legislature has previously failed on addressing property tax, and said that he applauds the People's Initiative and he signed it because he believes it will force the legislature to find a way to take action.
Several legislators expressed their disagreement with the People's Initiative because of the concern that a direct reduction in property taxes will result in reductions of local services, primarily education funding. Some also pointed out that the state doesn't have the revenue to make up for the short falls from such a reduction, which could potentially lead to a state income tax in the future.
"I wouldn't be supportive of something that will devastate Wyoming's tax base in the near future," Sen. Kolb said. "I look forward to a solution we can live with, a solution that won't hurt us in the future, and that we can still provide the bottom services that we need to provide for people."
Several legislators expressed approval of a fixed reduction plan for dealing with property taxes, such as House Bill 52, which is a Homestead Exemption. House Bill 45 would also put a cap on valuations. Rep. Wylie also pointed out that an upcoming constitutional amendment to separate residential from industrial property tax could be a catalyst to restructure the way property taxes are handled.
Another major topic that was discussed during the town hall was new industry coming to Sweetwater County and how to prepare for increased housing and infrastructure needs. Sen. Jones and Rep. Larson explained they started a growth committee for the county to start having these discussions with municipalities and industry representatives.
Other topics the legislators addressed included mental health plans, funding for a new Rock Springs High School, mineral resources, and land resource management.
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