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WORLAND — The Worland Senior Center ranked at the top of the list for those wishing to receive sales tax funding from the continuation of the one-cent general purpose sales tax.

The survey was conducted in May with only 222 responses among Washakie County residents.

Representatives from the eight entities who are seeking funding from the one-cent general purpose tax met with the Washakie County Commissioners on Tuesday to go over the survey.

Commissioner Terry Wolf suggested that each entity come to the next commissioner meeting with a budget in mind so they can determine percentages. He also asked Worland Mayor Jim Gill and Ten Sleep Mayor Ernie Beckley to meet with their councils and help write a draft resolution to consider at the meeting.

Washakie County and the two municipalities must approve a resolution for the tax to go before the voters. The resolution must be approved by August.

SURVEY RESULTS

The Worland Senior Center, which receives 5% of revenue from the current general purpose tax ranked first for the first time in the history of the tax. Persons were asked to rank all eight entities in order of priority.

The City of Worland was ranked second. They currently receive 42% of the funding. The Worland Community Center Complex, currently receiving 25% was third; Ten Sleep Senior Center, receiving 5% currently, was fourth, Town of Ten Sleep, receiving 15% was fifth, Crisis Prevention and Response Center, receiving 2%, was sixth. The two new entities on the distribution list, if the tax is continued by the voters in November, the Worland Youth Learning Center and the Washakie Development Association, were ranked seventh and eighth, respectively.

QUARTER OF A CENT

The Washakie County Commissioners also asked residents their thoughts on a quarter of a cent general purpose tax for emergency medical services. There were 223 responses with an overwhelming 83.86% in support of a new quarter of a cent sales tax. Just 16% or 36 respondents voted no.

The commissioners reiterated that they would not seek funding from the continuing one-cent tax as that would take away from entities who then would likely come to the county seeking funding.

He said there would be a separate resolution for the quarter of a cent tax to be on the ballot.

It was noted that the lodging tax would also becoming before the voters again in November. With the state changing lodging tax distribution, the local visitors council would be seeking just 2% rather than the previous 4%.

Beckley said he is concerned about having three tax issues on this year’s ballot, even though two of them would be continuing taxes.

There was discussion among those about making the one-cent general purpose tax permanent, which can be done by resolution from the county, Ten Sleep and Worland. Wolf said if they did that then no other entity could seek funding. Whatever entities and percentages were on the resolution would be permanent.

Regarding the survey, Wolf said the names of those who commented were removed before being distributed, as was promised. Several people said they heard people declined to take the survey because they had to put their name on it.

With a small percentage of responses this year compared to four years ago, there was also discussion about how to create more interest and get more people involved.

Worland Public Works Superintendent said the 222 people represented 2.5% of the population in the county and while that does not seem like a lot “that is pretty good for a government survey.”

There were 45 comments included among the more than 200 responses for the entire survey.

Comments included:

•Worland need something to attract tourists to town instead of having them bypass Worland on the way to Yellowstone.

•City of Worland receives too much 1% tax money.

•Wondering why the tax is not just made a permanent tax.

•Fix the canal bridge on Lane 10.

•Preferred to have the quarter cent tax question separated out to vote on each entity — Washakie County Ambulance service, Ten Sleep Ambulance service and Guardian Flight air medical evacuation.

•Question on why the county pays Cody Regional rather than establishing their own paid ambulance service. (The commissioners did look into the option but the cost was much higher than the $203,000 annual contract to Cody Regional.)

•Some of the entities should figure out funding without the sales tax.

•Concerns expressed over the new proposed ambulance station on North Road 11.

There were also some derogatory comments regarding some of the entities.