In Wyoming’s wealthiest county, the median homeowner currently pays $6,312 annually in property tax. A proposed ballot measure, known as Prop 1, would slash that amount by 50 % for all residential properties, a change that could cost the state between $92.6 million and $124.7 million each year.
Local opposition forms a $1 million coalition
Teachers, hospital administrators and the state’s largest real‑estate trade group have joined forces under the banner “Vote No on Prop 1.” The coalition reports it has raised nearly $1 million and has already spent about 20 % of those funds on outreach, including a video ad warning that the cut would jeopardize ambulances, schools and snow‑plow services.
The National Education Association contributed $405,000, according to campaign‑finance filings. Other signatories include the Wyoming Education Association, Wyoming Hospital Association, Wyoming Association of Community College Trustees and the Wyoming Taxpayers Association.
Voices from the front lines
Kim Amen, president of the Wyoming Education Association, said the measure threatens essential services that Wyoming communities rely on. “We’re just trying really hard to get the message out about the potential damage that this could do,” she said.
Retired dentist Becky Cloetta, a Teton County homeowner, told the outlet that rising taxes forced her to cancel vacations. “We’re not playing a violin,” she said. “We still go to Smith’s and buy what we want to eat, but we’re lucky. Or, I should say, we worked hard.” Cloetta helped launch a citizen petition that gathered 30,251 signatures statewide, the first successful grassroots effort of its kind in three decades.
Political context
Gubernatorial frontrunner Eric Barlow, a Campbell County rancher and state senator, warned that the cut would “truly harm communities.” In contrast, Wyoming’s Republican Party endorsed the measure, with Chairman Bryan Miller stating, “Wyoming homeowners deserve meaningful, durable property‑tax relief, and our party is prepared to help communicate the case for this initiative to voters across the state.”
State lawmakers have already enacted a 50 % exemption for homeowners 65 or older who have paid property taxes for 25 years, and a 4 % cap on annual tax increases. Residents can also apply for a 25 % exemption on the first $1 million of home value, though they would have to choose between that and the new proposed reduction.
Fiscal impact and local concerns
Assessor Mel Shinkle noted that Teton County’s average tax bill is $11,705 per year, highlighting the disparity between median and average homeowners. He said the ballot measure would act as a “reset button” after a surge in rural home buying during the pandemic, which doubled many owners’ tax burdens.
Jerimiah Rieman, executive director of the Wyoming County Commissioners Association, argued that many counties have already returned to 2018 revenue levels thanks to prior relief measures, making an additional blanket cut unnecessary. He warned that special districts that rely almost exclusively on property taxes for fire, ambulance and hospital services could see “bare‑bones operations” if the cut proceeds.
What’s next
Ballot proponents are rolling out billboards across the state, while opponents continue to mobilize volunteers and fund outreach. The measure will appear on the November ballot, and voters will decide whether Wyoming’s property‑tax system receives a sweeping half‑price reduction or retains its current structure.
Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.
