Friday, January 16, 2026 |
Photo – Carbon County Comet newspaper heading – Courtesy Carbon County Comet
The Carbon County Comet was selected as the county’s official legal publication for another year.
Wyoming state statute 18-3-519 requires that all government legal notices be published in a newspaper that has printed at least one edition every week for a year and has a minimum circulation of five hundred paid customers.
This year, three newspapers submitted bids to become the official publication of Carbon County for 2026: The Rawlins Times, The Saratoga Sun, and The Carbon County Comet, which held the role last year.
On December 23rd, the Board of Carbon County Commissioners reviewed the three applications. However, after discussing the matter, Commission Vice Chairwoman Gwynn Bartlett said she would like more time to review the bid submissions. Commissioner John Espy agreed and said he needed a breakdown of the type of advertisements the county placed each year to ensure both the county and residents are getting the most for their money.
Commissioners Sue Jones and John Johnson agreed that more time was needed, and the decision was postponed until the following meeting.
The Board of Carbon County Commissioners met again on January 6th, where County Attorney Ashley Davis announced that the Rawlins Times was no longer in contention for the official publication. The Board was to choose between the Saratoga Sun and the Carbon County Comet.
Commission Chairman Travis Moore asked for questions. In response, Commissioner John Johnson moved to select the Carbon County Comet as the county’s designated newspaper of record.
Commissioner Espy and Vice Chair Bartlett offered friendly amendments to the motion allowing the county to extend the contract for an additional year or terminate the agreement at any time. The Board of Commissioners unanimously selected the Carbon County Comet as the county’s official newspaper for 2026.
Last year’s publication choice was not without controversy. After the Comet was selected, the Saratoga Sun filed a lawsuit against the county commissioners and the Comet, alleging that the rival newspaper did not meet the statutory definition to publish legal notices.
At the time, Saratoga Sun Operations Director Joshua Wood argued that the United States Postal Service requires an official publication to deliver at least half of its copies to subscribers. Because most copies of the Comet were available for free around the county, Wood said the publication did not meet the legal requirements to become Carbon County’s official newspaper.
The legal battle continued until October, when a judge dismissed the case. The lawsuit prompted the Carbon County Republican Party to create a standing rule not to advertise with the Saratoga Sun.
Speaking at the March 1st, 2025, Carbon County Republican Party meeting, Vice Chairman Joey Correnti IV said governments should not spend taxpayer money on any newspaper advertising. However, while it works to repeal the mandate, the Republican Party will continue to follow state law, just not with the Platte Valley‑based publication.
In the meantime, all county legal notices and advertisements will be published in the Carbon County Comet.
