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Residents from Washakie County and the Big Horn Basin attended a meeting on the People’s Initiative to Limit Property Tax in Wyoming.

Former governor candidate Brent Bien and Richard Weber explained the initiative they hope to have on the ballot in 2024 at the Monday meeting, Nov. 13 at the Worland Community Center. The People’s Initiative to Limit Property Tax in Wyoming through a Homeowner’s Property Exemption reads as, “For property used as a primary residence, fifty percent (50%) of the assessed value of the primary property is exempt from property taxation as a homeowner’s exemption.”

The initiative has until February 2024 to attain the necessary signatures (of registered voters) while following the distribution requirements. For Washakie County, the initiative will need 469 signatures for the county to be counted toward their requirement of having an adequate number of signatures in 16 counties. If the initiative meets the requirements by February, residents will have the chance to vote on the initiative in November 2024. If it is approved by the voters, the exemption will impact the 2025 tax year and would be in place for two years.

According to the Washakie County Republican Party Chairman Tami Young and Rich Weber, approximately 150 to 200 people have signed the initiative in the county, and the initiative has attained roughly 30% of the necessary signatures statewide. Three counties have already completed their signature goal, with a few others almost complete as well.

INITIATIVE IMPACTS

At the meeting on Nov. 15, Weber claimed that, “Most of the [counties] have billions in reserves […] We will cut with this initiative, maybe 10% out of the revenue stream flowing into the counties.”

However, according to Washakie County Clerk Lily Rakness Parra, the county reserves are emergency funding and, “They are not placed into our yearly budgets and if we need to utilize them, we have to have a budget hearing.” Parra said, “The county has $2.5 million in reserve right now and it would only take us about 4 to 5 months to utilize those funds currently if it came down to it.”

Weber went on to claim, “When [the state] has $1.4 billion sitting there, that’s telling you right there, the counties don’t need the money. Those are excess funds. They don’t need it. Everything is fully funded.” He added, “We hear the violin playing for the poor children, we’re going to lose the fire trucks, we’re going to lose this and that. That couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Counties do not have access to the alleged $1.4 billion in state reserves, according to Parra, and she said, “The county’s funding comes from the property taxes and when that funding is cut in half, it will take from your local counties and not the state. In turn when you take from your local county, in this case with the initiative that they are pushing for, you are cutting funding for your services in half.”

Listing just a few of the services that Washakie County residents benefit from, Parra said, “road and bridge funds that allow for plowing in the winter and upkeep in the summer, the employees who help assist in your everyday needs like titling, property transfers, plating your vehicle, helping you file for divorce, processing your marriage license, assessing your property value, providing District Court services, a jury trial if you need one, providing a jail to house criminals, an attorney to prosecute, a sheriff, his deputies, someone there to answer your 911 call, public health, your local library, etc.”

According to the Wyoming Department of Revenue Annual Report for 2023, the beneficiaries of property tax collections are – Schools (54.25%), Counties (17.48%), Foundation Program (18.59%), Special Districts (7.84%), Municipalities (1.84%) and State (0.00%).

In a billing distribution recap provided by Washakie County, the following entities within the county are recipients of significant funding from the county and property taxes – School District #1, School District #2, Weed & Pest, Washakie County Conservation, the county hospital, the fire district, Washakie County Library and several others. According to several representatives from these entities, such as Washakie County, the fire district, and school districts, the services they provide will be impacted and agencies will be forced to make difficult prioritization decisions (see previous Northern Wyoming News article to read more about potential initiative impacts on county services).

One other major beneficiary of property tax collections is the State Foundation Fund. According to the Wyoming Department of Education website, the foundation helps to provide funding to all school districts across the state, and provides their funding based on student enrollment. Their website states, “If a district’s local revenues turn out to be less than its guarantee, the state of Wyoming makes up the difference through a series of entitlement payments distributed to the district throughout the school year.” While funding to education is a Wyoming constitutional guarantee, property taxes work to provide that funding, whether it is on the “local” county level, or at the state level through the State Foundation Fund. Additionally, according to Washakie County School District #2 Superintendent Annie Griffin in a previous interview, “This educational guarantee has been the subject of lawsuits over the years.”

As for tax relief, Weber in the meeting claimed, “The only relief you’re gonna get that’s on the radar right now is this ballot. This is the only sure thing out there.”

However, according to Rep. Martha Lawley (R-HD27) in a previous interview, the Wyoming property tax relief program is, “the most immediate relief that can be offered.” Lawley previously said that the Legislature is always working to improve the relief program, and moves it in a direction that helps to close gaps and help more residents.

According to the Wyoming Department of Revenue Annual Report for 2023, the number of applications for the relief program has increased every year it has been offered since 2019, as well as the total dollars refunded and average dollar refund to applicants. For Washakie County, the total amount of dollars refunded through the property tax refund program started at $8,993.29 in 2019 increased to $75,824.84 in 2022.

For Washakie County residents who are interested in applying for the property tax relief program, the Washakie County treasurer Doris Kern can be referred to for questions and applications. Kern can be found at the Washakie County Courthouse. According to Kern, applications are due by the first Monday in June and for those who have received a refund in the prior years, they should automatically receive an application.

More information about the property tax refund program can also be found online at https://revenue.wyo.gov/divisions/administrative-services/property-tax-refund-program.