Legislature Continues to Press for More Property Tax Reductions

JULY 21, 2025 |

County officials continue to express dissatisfaction over reductions in property tax revenue.

In March, the Wyoming State Legislature passed several property tax relief bills. The measures were designed to help Wyoming residents offset property tax increases stemming from the population growth that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, all Wyoming homeowners will receive a 25% reduction on their property tax bills for the first $1 million of assessed property value. Additionally, residents over 65 years of age who have lived in their homes for the past 25 years are eligible to receive a 50% reduction in the assessed value of their property.

All the tax relief programs combined have resulted in Carbon County losing approximately $500,000 in property tax revenue. The lost income has caused the Board of County Commissioners to reduce funding for all county services. The Road and Bridge Department has been among the hardest hit, no longer able to afford to apply the dust-reduction chemical Magnesium Chloride to the county’s dirt roads. The Carbon County Library System has also suffered significant cuts, with its budget reduced by half.

At the July 14th Carbon County Board of Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Sue Jones, arguably the county’s most vocal critic of the property tax relief programs, said state legislators justified the tax cuts by explaining that counties financially benefitted from the influx of new residents. Commissioner Jones acknowledged that counties saw revenue growth, but said it was mostly negated by soaring inflation rates.

During the COVID pandemic, the federal government pumped roughly $5 trillion into the economy through relief packages like the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act and the American Rescue Plan. The surge in the money supply weakened the dollar’s value, contributing to widespread inflation.

Back at the July 14th meeting, Commissioner Jones said inflation erased any additional revenue the county gained from the COVID-era rise in home prices, a fact obvious to Wyoming residents.

The Wyoming State Legislature continues to press for more property tax relief. Casper Representative Steve Harshman has called for the complete elimination of residential property taxes. To make up the lost revenue, Representative Harshman has proposed the creation of a four to six percent state sales tax.

Casper Senator Bob Ide is pushing the matter further by proposing a constitutional amendment to abolish all property taxes in Wyoming, including residential, commercial, industrial, and personal property. Instead, Senator Ide recommended moving to a consumption-based tax system, such as an increased sales tax.

Regardless of what happens at the state level, county governments will bear the brunt of any changes to property taxes. Representatives from the Carbon County Library System have warned that branch closures may be imminent due to the reduced tax revenue. In response, county officials are urging residents to consider donating any property tax savings to the public services they value.