What do Our Property Taxes Pay For, Anyway? Part I: Health & Safety
Most of the things that make our communities liveable are supported, at least in part, by property taxes. Property taxes are Wyoming’s only reliable, predictable source of funding for many of these community services. With Proposition #1 appearing on your ballot this November, it’s important to know how these property taxes are used.
If you’d like more information on this important source of revenue for your community, we’ve put together THIS COMPREHENSIVE FAQ!
This series will explore what, exactly, your community’s property taxes pay for.
PART I: Health and Safety
If you, or anyone you care about, has ever had their life saved by ambulances, fire services, or the police, you can thank property taxes.
Property taxes are the most consistent stream of funding for these services. Jeff Barron, chief of the Tongue River Fire District in Sheridan County, recently pointed out that their entire (already tight) budget is dependent on property tax revenues, and there is no alternative source for this funding if taxes are cut.
Similarly, emergency responders in Laramie County, including Sheriff Kozak and Fire Authority Chief Jason Caughey, have articulated forcefully what tax cuts mean for them. When the legislature tried to cut property taxes by 50% (through a bill with goals similar to the present ballot initiative), Kozak noted that the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office
would have to lay off 25 employees, including four School Resource Officers, three detention deputies, six registered nurses, two mental health/suicide counselors, a jail programs counselor, two professional staff positions and seven juvenile crisis center counselors, in order to account for the funds.
You can read more of their thoughts here.
Smaller counties, especially those with less mineral revenue, will be hit the hardest. These are communities already facing major medical crises, including maternal healthcare deserts. As reported in the Thermopolis Independent Record, property tax cuts that have already been imposed
netted losses, for example, to the BOCES NW annual budget of over $7,000; to the Hot Springs County Cemetery Board of over $35,000; to the Fire Protection District of more than $24,000; to the Hospital District of more than $45,000; and to the School District, the loss was over $473,000.
These significant losses are before the additional cuts that would come with the passage of Proposition #1.
If the worst happens - if your house catches fire, if a loved one is hurt, if anyone you know needs care - then you’ll need property-tax-funded services. Keep that in mind as you go to the polls on November 3rd.