County Commissioner: Possible Wyoming Tax Cuts A Serious Concern

Laramie County Commissioner Linda Heath says the possible impacts of cuts in revenues from property taxes have local officials "grinding their teeth."

Heath, who is a Republican, says that she understands the idea of cutting the taxes is politically popular in the wake of increases that have hit residential property owners. But she says the potential loss in revenues to local governments could force some very tough decisions, including reductions in law enforcement and fire protection staffing in some cases

Get our free mobile app

At last count there were at least nine different proposals to cut property taxes  in the Wyoming Legislature.. Heath says that while the bills take various approaches, the bottom line is that any big cut in revenues generated by property taxes will force some very tough decisions for Wyoming counties.

She Says Law Enforcement, Fire Protection Could Take Hits

She says they could mean less money for law enforcement and fire protection, with implications for public safety. She says concern over the impacts has local government officials across the state ''grinding their teeth.

Heath made the comments on the ''Weekend In Wyoming" program on Saturday on AM 650, KGAB.

In Laramie County, she says officials could  be looking at a revenue loss of $45 million under one scenario. She says that could mean cuts in law enforcement. " I hear and read daily that people are complaining about the lack of law enforcement or that law enforcement isn't responding. Well, if they don't have the money they are not going to have fuel for cars, they aren't going to be able to pay officers. There is a lot of things that trickle down on that.'

Heath says House Bill 169--which would result in a 50 percent cut in property tax revenues over two years--poses problems for fire protection. She says Wyoming fire districts can only impose a three mill property tax. But with a 50 percent reduction, fire districts that have been getting $4,000 would only get $2,000.

She says they would have to have those revenues supplemented by the county. But with the reduction in funding, the county won't be able to do that.. "So where do the residents in that particular fire district, where do they get their fire service? How far is a fire truck going to have to travel to put out that grass fire?"

She says for truck fires, ''local fire districts are the ones who are going out and fighting those fires."

You can hear the entire two-part interview with Linda Heath in the audio files below.