Commission hopefuls address aquifer protection, property taxes and more
Commission hopefuls address aquifer protection, property taxes and more
Brian Harrington and Thad Hoff completed the Laramie Reporter’s questionnaire, spelling out their respective visions for Albany County’s near future.
When Albany County heads to the polls on Nov. 5, the electorate will be tasked with deciding the next two years of county leadership.
Competing for the open Albany County Commission seat on this year’s ballots are Laramie Mayor Brian Harrington, a Democrat, and local locksmith Thad Hoff, a Republican.
The winner will join the two commissioners not on the ballot this year — Democrat Pete Gosar and Republican Terri Jones. The commission’s partisan lean for the following term will reflect the party affiliation of this year’s winner, though the candidates themselves doubt how much that designation will ultimately matter.
Much of the commission’s work is non-partisan, and both Harrington and Hoff say they’d rather share their visions for the county than lean into red-blue mudslinging.
What are those visions for the county? The Laramie Reporter asked each commission candidate a series of questions about the issues they’re likely to encounter on the job, from aquifer protection and renewable energy to property tax reform and intergovernmental collaboration.
Hoff’s responses were previously published, alongside those of his primary opponents, in June. Harrington’s answers have not been previously published, but they were submitted at the same time.
In your view, what are the most important issues facing the county today?
BRIAN HARRINGTON: First, maintaining our clean drinking water sources. This is essential both for community health and for economic development. Our water is a valuable asset that shouldn’t be squandered. Second, continuing city-county government cooperation to provide programs and services to taxpayers in a cost-efficient manner, particularly in the face of possible declines in revenue. Local governments need to plan together for future growth and infrastructure in and out of city limits to avoid mistakes that will cost taxpayers. Finally, as part of all actions, to seek ways to provide more information about county operations to the public, and seek their input.
THAD HOFF: As always funding is at the top of the list, both for operations and spending on special interests that benefit the community. Economic development would be another. The county is behind in cultivating business and support structure for potential incoming businesses. The last issue is property tax relief and how that affects future budgeting and long-term planning.
What does the county do well? What should it improve upon?
HARRINGTON: The county currently does a good job of supporting the non-profit agencies that provide essential services through the 1% Community Partnership Funding. The county also does a good job of providing mental health counseling to our emergency responders (volunteer firefighters) who often deal with difficult events as they keep our rural residents and their properties safe. I support the efforts already begun by county officials to increase public awareness of how our tax systems work. I would also follow up the recommendations of the Casper Aquifer Protection Plan to increase public awareness of actions necessary to protect our drinking water.
HOFF: Stretching a dollar. The county has always made what was available count. Essential services are always available, the courthouse remains open for business, the rural fire departments respond to calls, and [Albany County] Road and Bridge keep the roads passable.
Recent action by the legislature provided property tax relief for some Wyoming homeowners. This could help those struggling to pay rising taxes but could also hurt the counties and schools that rely on that tax base. What are your thoughts about the recent property tax relief and how should the county manage any decrease to its coffers?
HARRINGTON: Rising property valuations and consequently rising property taxes have hit the budgets of homeowners on fixed incomes. I support targeted relief, rather than across-the-board relief, because many essential services depend on property tax revenues. While some say “oh, the state will backfill revenue losses,” I think experience shows otherwise. I agree with the decision to remove the sales tax from food, but the state backfilled that revenue loss only for a short period. If there are substantial cuts in property taxes, the county (and other entities that receive property taxes, like public health and library) will have no choice but to reduce services.
HOFF: It is going to hurt the county, no doubt, I would have supported some kind of percentage reduction on a schedule to give more time for fiscal planning. As an aside, it is an irritation that veterans must request property tax relief annually to receive their exemption. I am optimistic that exploration of rare earth mineral deposits could aid in alleviating some of the property tax deficit.
Are there any significant changes you would like to make to the county budget?
HARRINGTON: Not at this time.
HOFF: Not right now or not yet. Demands change from year to year. It will become increasingly important for department heads and elected officials to be heard with their recommendations as to budget needs. I do not have a crystal ball, but I am willing to listen.
Do you feel the Casper Aquifer is adequately protected? Should there be more or fewer regulations regarding what can be built on the land above it?
HARRINGTON: As mentioned earlier, keeping our drinking water clean is a top priority for me. I support the regulations passed by the majority of the current county commissioners that strengthen protections for the aquifer. These are in line with the recommendations of the reunified Casper Aquifer Protection Plan recently adopted by the city and county. The identified areas of contamination in the aquifer are associated with septic systems (over 400 in the aquifer protection area) and minimizing additional development will benefit the county residents who depend on their private wells, along with the users on the municipal system.
HOFF: I should hope that after all the research and consulting expenditures that the Casper Aquifer is all but sealed up tight. However, it seems that over the years adjusting the boundaries and surface regulations has become gerrymandering at its finest. I feel like some of the changes made to the zone have been political and not based entirely on testing or science.
Should the county pursue renewable energy and seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when it comes to its own operations and buildings?
HARRINGTON: Absolutely. Albany County isn’t wealthy and we need to look for efficiencies and cost-effective sustainable options whenever we can. For example, taking advantage of the Blue Sky Energy program for grants for solar power for government buildings was a no-brainer. I also supported the net-zero plan for Laramie municipal operations; it’s a plan, and will be adjusted over time. Obviously we’re not going to make drastic changes that potentially could adversely affect emergency services or law enforcement. But we have a responsibility to taxpayers to be cost-conscious.
HOFF: The county can and should consider ways to correct inefficiencies in its buildings and operations. Even minor changes that can increase efficiencies would be helpful at reducing any environmental impact, with a bonus, decrease in operating costs.
Should the county encourage or support wind and solar development?
HARRINGTON: The county has a pretty limited toolkit for encouraging/supporting any kind of development. However, as mentioned above, I generally support development of wind and solar power sources as the path to the future. I say “generally” because everything has some kind of adverse impact, and it is the commission’s responsibility to protect the public’s overall health and safety through its zoning authority.
HOFF: To an extent, I can support both wind and solar with a large hesitation for wind generating equipment. It historically has taken about 10 years to generate enough energy to offset the cost. Ironically, that same equipment usually requires an overhaul or replacement at about that same interval. I see wind providing jobs at the local level and not much more. Solar is fine for household energy but becomes problematic for energy storage and transmission for peak demand times.
Albany County Commission meetings are not well attended. How would you ensure that the county government is being transparent and communicating with the public?
HARRINGTON: Experience shows that people typically engage in public meetings when decisions directly affect them, rather than out of general civic interest. I support our commissioner’s efforts to increase participation through convenient meeting times and virtual attendance options. I also back other county officials’ initiatives to engage the public on specific issues. My goal is to enhance public involvement early in the decision-making process, ensuring community voices are heard from the start. We’ll continue exploring ways to make civic engagement more accessible and meaningful for all residents.
HOFF: Paying bills, approving correspondence, and voting to approve the minutes is never going to draw a crowd. What is important is making sure that information isn’t kept from the public. The commission isn’t in place to keep secrets from residents but act in the best interest of all residents. Full disclosure and forewarning to the public is the only way to achieve this. What medium is the best seems to slowly change and I don’t know what is best at this moment.
How closely should the county collaborate with the city of Laramie?
HARRINGTON: We’re all residents of Albany County, whether inside or outside the city limits. While many people think of county commissioners as “for the county” outside of Laramie (and the other incorporated town, Rock River), the two are inseparable. Most of those living outside the city limits work in town, or at least come in to shop or go to a medical appointment. We have to work together to take care of our resources — clean drinking water, open spaces, agricultural lands, wildlife habitat — that don’t recognize political boundaries.
HOFF: There will always be a relationship that exists between both government bodies. A collaboration would imply that what has happened is beneficial to both bodies. As a commissioner we need to reevaluate previous agreements to ensure that both parties are still benefiting from previous collaborations. And if not make some tough decisions to amend or terminate.
Finally, a big picture question: What is the appropriate role of government?
HARRINGTON: Local government is the most interesting because that’s where the rubber meets the road. For example, you turn on your faucet, you expect water to come out, and you expect that water to be safe to drink. You have a problem, you call 911, and you expect emergency services to show up. We form governments as a means of working together to provide things we need and want that would be too costly or inefficient for each of us to provide individually. Our taxes fund these services, and we always have to be open to new ways to make those services effective and cost-efficient.
HOFF: Govern for the people not govern the people. Government at any level should serve those who established, voted, supported, and participated in its creation and continued operation of it. National government scrutiny and reporting seems to garner the most attention. At the same time local government handles the meat and potatoes of day to day living and with a larger impact to the average citizen.