Shanor Plans Council Re-Election Run

Cheyenne Ward II City Councilman Dicky Shanor says he plans to run for another term on the city's governing body in 2016.

Shanor was first elected in 2012, and says serving on the council ''has been an honor." He says he loves Cheyenne, adding the council has "faced some tough issues" during his time on the body. He says he thinks the council ''needs to be more active and seek more information" in making city decisions.

Shanor says one unusual dynamic in city government is the role of the mayor, who not only serves as the executive branch of city government, but also votes on the city council and can veto proposals he disagrees with. He points out the mayor also has his own staff.

Shanor says it is difficult to envision the President of the United States announcing he would be voting on legislation in congress while serving as president--but under Cheyenne's city government, that is exactly what happens.

Shanor says he thinks the council needs to "incrementally" become more involved in the process of developing a city budget. He says at one time the Cheyenne City Council was more involved in the budget process, but over time has gradually allowed developing the budget to become a function of the mayor.

But despite his concerns over having so much power in the hands of the mayor, Shanor also says city voters clearly have rejected a proposal to create a position of City Administrator, noting the results of a November special election in which voters voted against a city administrator by a margin of almost 2-1. In light of those results, Shanor says the city administrator proposal is a "dead issue" for the foreseeable future.

Shanor is the first candidate to announce his intention to run for the Cheyenne City Council in 2016.