Worland Mayor Candidate: Rebecca George

How long have you lived in Worland?

Family heritage is very important. Our family is a first-generation resident of Worland. Our children are a fourth-generation to the Big Horn Basin, but our family has been in Wyoming since before statehood.

Why are you running for Worland mayor?

Worland is a place full of family heritage and community engagement. The agriculture, the small-town industry and the safe environment should prevail. I want Worland to be a place for our youth to grow and enjoy freedoms and the peace we enjoyed as youth in Wyoming. I am hopeful that my posterity will be able to grow up in a good community and it is my duty to help preserve one for them. 

Do you feel you have the time it takes to serve as mayor?

Yes, I do. I am committed to the evening meetings as a city council member. In addition to the regular meetings, I have served on two different committees. The airport committee and the most recent budget committee for the '24-'25 fiscal year. Over this last term on city council, my commitment to the city has been a rewarding experience because I honored that commitment. My active performance in the past is an accurate representation of my commitment moving forward. 

With rising costs and ever tightening budgets, how would you address increasing revenues or cutting costs for the City? Would rate increases be a part of that?

My top priority is to keep a balanced budget and to keep our reserves healthy. Currently the city has around one year of operation in cash reserves. When the city council makes a proposed budget, they underestimate revenue and overestimate expenses. This has caused the council to pass deficient budgets for many years. I would like to note that the actual budget at the end of each fiscal year was in surplus, five out of the last six years. We need to focus on passing a balanced budget. Our focus needs to be on maintaining our services and infrastructure. If inflation continues to increase, we will need to be aware that the costs for the city will also increase. With our most recent rate increase, we have closed the gap for those accounts. It is my hope that this fall we can look forward to a dramatic correction of bad policy from Washington that has impacted us negatively at home. 

Currently the one-cent optional general purpose sales tax is earmarked for street improvements. Is this the best use of these funds or do you feel funding should be directed to another area? If so what area or areas? 

With the 2020 census, the population of Worland dropped below 5,000 residents. This then disqualified us from the Urban Systems fund, which cities greater than 5,000 in population receive a yearly allotment of federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds.

In order to upgrade infrastructure, we currently use city funds and the additional one-cent optional general-purpose sales tax to help. Worland was founded in 1904, some of our infrastructure is getting outdated. We need to prioritize and continue upgrading our infrastructure to keep up with the times. Every four years the county votes on renewing the general-purpose tax. As long as it keeps getting renewed the city has input of where those funds will be allocated. I feel the city portion should be used to uphold our infrastructure and in line with the proper role of government. 

Do you feel city mayor and council should focus on social issues, recreational issues, basic services or a combination of those?

The main purpose of city government is to manage basic services. We need to improve and maintain what we have. Focus on roads and bridges, water, sewer and sanitation, parks and work facilities. We should trim the fat instead of placing a financial burden on our community.

My main focus as Mayor is not to govern people and their social activities, in fact, it is quite the opposite. The state of Wyoming has a legislative body that creates laws that are reflective of the needs, protections and rights of all individuals. I believe that the government should help preserve our rights endowed upon us by our Creator.  

As for recreational issues, the city funding manages the parks through our general fund. No other funding source is allotted. If the people would like to see recreational areas and services, the private sector should spearhead those projects. The people should be engaged in their own pursuits of recreation. 

What role should the city play in helping fill empty downtown storefronts? What type of incentives might be included in recruiting businesses?

The city should play a role by making sure we have the best infrastructure in place for business. We also need to have business-friendly ordinances and regulations. Since the State Legislature and Governor of Wyoming have chosen to fund the Wyoming Business Council, we are networked into that organization through the Washakie Development Association (WDA), our local economic development group. We need to have a better relationship with the WDA, together we can help the Worland community. The city government of Worland needs to remember that the proper role of government is not to create enterprise but to create an appealing environment where private enterprise can flourish.