Ten Sleep, Worland rely on sales tax for infrastructure projects

WORLAND — The City of Worland and the Town of Ten Sleep have both indicated they would like to continue to receive funds from the general purpose one-cent sales tax if voters approve the tax in November.

The Northern Wyoming News has been profiling the eight entities that are seeking funding from the tax for the next four years. This if the final profile.

A survey asking residents to rank the organizations will be available next month online and in the Northern Wyoming News. Rankings will help determine the percentages each entity receives.

TOWN OF TEN SLEEP

The Town of Ten Sleep currently receives 15% of the funding from the general purpose one-cent sales tax.

In the letter of intent to the Washakie County Commissioners, Mayor Ernie Beckley wrote that the funds for the next four years “will supplement funds as collected in accordance with state and local authorization, and/or grants, as available, to be used for improvements to streets, water, sewer and other town-owned and/or maintained infrastructure.”

Four years ago the town’s focus was on replacing sidewalks and gutters, and making the town’s sewage lagoon more efficient.

Mayor Beckley said the majority of the funding the past four years has gone to the Sewer lagoon.

He said they have also used funds for road work, water updates, equipment repair and another dump truck for snow removal.

For the coming four years they have several potential projects including seed money for grants to renovate the Ten Sleep Gym for use by the city once the new school is built.

He said if voters do not approve continuing the tax, “It would impact us a quite a bit. We would have no seed money for improvement projects. Our budget is tight. We do not use any of the tax money on salaries.”

He said the town has two full-time employees and one part-time employee.

No tax “would hinder us in all of future endeavors,” Beckley said. He added that they use the current tax to also make loan payments for a loan they got for sewer lagoon repairs.

“We certainly appreciate the fact that Washakie County has been willing to vote this and we hope they vote to continue this tax. It’s not an additional tax,” Beckley said.

Over the past eight years when voters have approved the tax, he said it has helped “so many different organizations.

“That little, tiny penny makes a whole lot of difference to a lot of us,” Beckley said.

CITY OF WORLAND

The City of Worland receives the highest percentage at 42% currently. They have used the funds for the city’s street improvement initiative and Mayor Jim Gill said that is the plan again for the next four years if approved by the voters.

In his letter of interest to the Washakie County Commissioners Gill wrote, “The City of Worland will use the money for our ‘Street Improvement Initiative’ such as but not limited to street, curb, gutter replacements, maintenance repair and drainage issues as approved by the city council. The funds collected and distributed may also supplement grants for the Street Improvement Initiative and be combined with other local, state and federal funds in accordance with law and ordinance.”

Gill said the street improvement initiative and other projects funded by the one-cent general purpose tax will be “to benefit Worland and its citizens and the people that visit our great city.”

He said in the past four years the one-cent funding has helped fund projects at 15th and Big Horn Avenue, Culbertson Street, water and sewer project, double gutters from 10th to Fourth and south to Washakie Avenue, as well as repairs in alley aprons, sidewalks and patching potholes.

He said the public works department has purchased new equipment that can turn old asphalt chunks dug up for street projects, into useable material for other projects. This will enable the city to do more projects inhouse and gives them the ability to stretch the one-cent dollars further.

Regarding the election and surveys in the past, Gill said, “It’s an honor to have the support of Washakie County.”

One of the reasons the focus has been on street improvement, Gill said, is prior to the general purpose one-cent tax the city did not have funds for many street projects and “we’ve been playing catch-up.”

The city averages about $600,000 during the four years. In previous years the council had 45% of the distribution. That was trimmed in 2018 when the number of agencies went from six to seven.

Clerk/Treasurer Tracy Glanz said sales tax funding fluctuates a little. The city received $615,377 during the 2018-2019 fiscal year, $595,240 in 2019-2020, $691,626 in 2020-2021. This year up through February, the city has received $587,974.

Without the tax, Gill said the city would again fall behind on street improvement.

“Personally, I’m proud of what we have gotten done [with the general purpose one-cent sales tax],” Gill said.