Time for action on property tax issue

by Stephen Dow

Talk is cheap, as the saying goes. But when talk is not followed up by actions, it becomes quite costly.

Such is the case of Wyoming’s property tax system. The good news is Wyoming’s state legislators have known for years that the current system is broken. The bad news is their efforts to fix the system haven’t gotten very far.

Just this past session, legislators considered a bill that would have studied how the state could switch from the current market-value-system of determining property taxes to an acquisition-based system, according to Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody. That bill died a quick death in the House Appropriations Committee on a 0-7 vote and didn’t even come to the floors of the House or Senate for discussion.

The consequences of kicking the can down the road on this particular issue are evident to anybody who has paid a property tax bill this year. Especially for individuals on a fixed or limited income, an increase of 24% county wide could be catastrophic.

When your property tax bill increases by hundreds of dollars a year, you are often forced to make difficult decisions about what to do without. Some residents may even be priced out of living in the county entirely, depriving our community of many individuals who hold down valuable service industry jobs, volunteer with local nonprofits, serve on local boards and commissions, and generally make our community a better place to live.

We hope the legislative body can move past conversation this year and make some real, lasting change. If they don’t, the consequences could be significant for the county and the state.

-Cody Enterprise