Thursday, OCTOBER 23, 2025 |
Photo – CCHEC building on Harshman Street – Bigfoot99 file photo
Carbon County officials are holding a public meeting tonight to discuss how property tax relief programs have impacted local revenues and services.
At Tuesday’s Carbon County Commissioner meeting in Elk Mountain, County Clerk Lisa Smith announced that she and Treasurer Lindsey West will hold a town hall meeting tonight in the Carbon County Higher Education Center. Clerk Smith said the meeting will focus on how recent property tax cuts have affected county finances.
Carbon County received $947,773.50 less in property tax revenue than the previous fiscal year, largely due to tax relief measures enacted by the state legislature. The bills were designed to help residents offset their rising property taxes, which were driven by population growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, every Wyoming homeowner has seen a 25% reduction on their property tax bills for the first $1 million of assessed value on their residential properties.
Seniors aged 65 and older who have lived in their homes for the past 25 years are eligible for an additional 50% reduction in assessed property value.
The reduced property tax revenue has resulted in less spending for outside agencies, such as museums, senior centers, and libraries. The Carbon County Library Board, for instance, is facing a 53% budget cut. The library board is asking municipalities to either take over or contribute more funding to their local branches. Library branches have reduced their operating hours countywide. Branches in smaller communities could close because of the cuts.
Towns around the county are being asked to do the same for their senior centers.
Even the county’s central museum is facing budget cuts. Earlier this year, the Board of County Commissioners instructed Carbon County Museum Director Tom Mensik to explore relocating the museum to the Wyoming Frontier Prison. The move is intended to reduce building maintenance costs.
At the commissioners’ meeting earlier this week, Clerk Smith said she and Treasurer West will discuss how reduced property tax revenues could affect county services, such as road maintenance. The County Clerk said additional tax cuts scheduled for next year will make the situation worse.
The property tax revenue meeting is tonight, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at 1650 Harshman Street in Rawlins. For more information, call the Carbon County Higher Education Center at 328-9274.
