Survival requires a leap of faith

by Stephen Dow, Cody Enterprise

Meeteetse, like many Wyoming small towns, is on the verge of disappearing. It isn’t hard to imagine a near future where the town — with a population of 313 in the 2020 census and a median age of 52.1 years — doesn’t exist.

This uncertain future is what makes a recently proposed annexation of 390 acres from Flying River Ranch LLC so exciting. If approved, the annexation would expand the town’s borders by 70%.

While there is no clear plan for the land yet, some of the ideas that have been bandied about by town councilors have potential: a wool-scouring plant would create jobs for community members and additional neighborhoods would house those new workers.

Even if the property remains vacant agricultural land, the town will see a revenue increase of $5,700 a year, Mayor J.W. “Bill” Yetter said. And that number will increase substantially if the land is developed.

From our perspective, this seems like a win-win: a chance for the town to expand, survive and financially thrive. But many residents speaking at a town council meeting on April 6 disagreed.

At the heart of their concern are fear and uncertainty: With no clear direction on how the land will be used in the future, will town residents be happy with the final result?

There’s no way to know the answer, of course. Some naysayers might say annexation is a gamble — one that could substantially alter the way of life in Meeteetse.

But we’d argue annexation is not a gamble but a leap of faith: Faith that our elected leaders will do right by us and make an eventual decision that benefits the whole community. Faith that residents’ voices will be heard as decisions are made. Faith that Meeteetse could be more than it is today.

Yetter recently argued the town may never return to the way it was in its 1950s heyday, and we’d agree. But some forward-thinking faith may be what it takes for Meeteetse’s survival.