Perhaps you you weren’t aware? (Funny how that works.) We hope you’re not excited, but we do hope folks in the following WY Counties show up and vote!
WHERE
If you live in Laramie, Natrona or Sweetwater Counties: Yes, there is a new 1% sales and use tax election next month on November 2nd, 2021. Note that these elections do appear to have early voting available in person at their local County Clerk’s office.
If you live in Campbell or Johnson Counties: That vote already took place on August 17, 2021. (Sorry we didn’t catch this sooner.)
We cannot find any other elections among the other 18 counties, but folks should double-check the links in the table below in case we missed something.
WHY
Back in the good ole days (2020 and later), the infamous optional 1 penny sales tax always occurred on General Election ballots. But not anymore, thanks to HB0179-Optional municipal tax-election that passed earlier this year in 2021 WY Legislative General Session. Beginning July 2021, city/town local governments can now run their own municipal sales and use tax elections during off-election years. (That bill by the way narrowly passed in both chambers: The House passed HB179 by a vote of 32-28; the Senate passed HB179 by a vote of 16-14.)
According to Oil City News, opponents to HB179, such as House Rep Clarence Styvar (Laramie County), said:
He opposed the effort because special elections can have lower turnout.
Styvar said that during a past bond election on whether to approve a $3.1 million bond levy in House District 12, only 213 people turned out.
“We need more people to get out and vote,” he said. “That happens during a general election.”
Supporters of HB179, such as House Rep Pat Sweeney (Natrona County), said:
He thinks the idea that municipalities would abuse the system in intentionally working to ensure lower voter turnout is false.
“For us to sit here today and not have trust in our own constituents to turn out for an election I think is kind of bizarre,” he said. “You’re almost accusing them of electioneering, our municipalities. That’s not the case.”
WHAT THE HECK
Well, we agree with Rep Styvar, and think Rep Sweeney is a nincompoop or a Pollyanna – take your pick.
Here’s our quick observations on the upcoming elections:
Laramie County: The Nov 2, 2021 Laramie County 1% Specific Purpose Sales and Use Tax Ballot has fourteen propositions, each asking if you are “For the Tax” or “Against the Tax”. The ballot instructions say; “Each proposition stands alone. You may vote for or against each proposition. Each proposition must receive a majority of the votes cast on it to be approved.”
Problems – from our observations:
- Nowhere does the stand-alone question occur, are you “For” or “Against” the 1% tax. Instead the 1% tax question is tied to fourteen different propositions (choices) of where that tax revenue will potentially be spent.
Any voter that is against the 1% tax altogether would have to vote “AGAINST THE TAX” fourteen different times. This however is never clarified anywhere on the ballot. - The way the propositions are divided among 4 categories, and some proposition total dollar amounts are further divided among specific projects (with smaller dollar amounts) could be overwhelming to your average person. One could easily lose sight of the fact that, regardless of what they are reading, their vote is actually being divided into (at least) 14 parts.
- A line is not drawn anywhere, therefore there is not one. If all fourteen propositions were to “receive a majority of votes of the votes cast on it”, the total price tag equals a whopping $110,100,846.60. A small number of special interest voters can give their local government tremendous tax & spending power.
- This is where special interest groups can swarm elections, knowing that most voters won’t show up at all, and those that do might not vote on every proposition. Some voters might believe that not voting on a proposition isn’t a big deal – but the opposite is true; Every “AGAINST THE TAX” vote is equally essential.
- They never state when that 1% tax will end.
In all honesty, just trying to make sense of Laramie County’s Nov 2021 ballot is enough to discourage voters from showing up at all. It is for that reason alone, that every registered voter should be sure to show up. We predict that most voters will have numerous questions based solely on the math alone.
We strongly recommend every single Laramie County registered voter show up to vote “AGAINST THE TAX” fourteen times!
Natrona County: The Nov 2, 2021 Natrona County Ballot for 1% specific purpose sales and use excise tax is not nearly as bad as Laramie County’s, but still has a pretty rotten trick embedded in it.
There are two projects on the ballot – but you cannot vote for just one, you have to vote “FOR” or “AGAINST” both. The first (politically favored by Casper’s deep state) project is $2,300,000 to continue the Vision 2020 Smart Growth/Agenda 21 in the Old Yellowstone District in downtown Casper. The second project is $2,000,000 to replace eight miles of potable waterline between Midwest/Edgerton and Casper. The Midwest/Edgerton Project would easily be approved if it was a stand-alone vote. But, Nooo… they just had to tie it to something as repugnant as Agenda 21.
One last thing – Natrona County never states when that 1% tax will end.
Our prayers go out to Natrona County voters on that one.
SWEETWATER COUNTY: The Nov 2, 2021 Sweetwater County Ballot for General Purpose Sales and Use Tax has only one question; “Shall Sweetwater County, Wyoming impose an additional one percent (1%) tax a portion of the proceeds shall be used for public safety and economic development for a term of four years.”
For starters there is a grammar problem or a period missing. Secondly, and not unlike Natrona’s ballot, they are running two separate issues together – you gotta vote “FOR” or “AGAINST” both. We hope that there is more info out there for Sweetwater folks to know exactly what kind of a ‘public safety’ wish list they have. As far as economic development goes… well, let’s just say we’re not big fans in that area because of the whole picking winners and losers variable that’s always at play.
One positive thing we can say about the Sweetwater County election – at least they specified an end date on their 1% tax – something that Laramie and Natrona Counties failed to do altogether. But perhaps that is not a mistake.
| 2021 Special 1% Tax Elections | ||
| County Clerk Election Links | Election Day | |
| Albany | None Found | |
| Big Horn | None Found | |
| Campbell | Was already held Aug 17, 2021 | Results |
| Carbon | None Found | |
| Converse | None Found | |
| Crook | None Found | |
| Fremont | None Found | |
| Goshen | None Found | |
| Hot Springs | None Found | |
| Johnson | Was already held Aug 17, 2021 | Results |
| Laramie | 14 ballot propositions – TUES, NOV 2. | Sample Ballot |
| Lincoln | None Found | |
| Natrona | November 2, 2021 between the hours of 7:00 am and 7:00 pm. |
Sample Ballot |
| Niobrara | None Found | |
| Park | None Found | |
| Platte | None Found | |
| Sheridan | None Found | |
| Sublette | None Found | |
| Sweetwater | Nov 2, 2021 | Sample Ballot |
| Teton | None Found | |
| Uinta | None Found | |
| Washakie | None Found | |
| Weston | None Found | |
