Committee backs residency requirement for elected offices

By Ramsey Scott
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Via Wyoming News Exchange
 
CHEYENNE – Wyomingites seeking a county elected position could have new residency requirements in place when they go to sign up for an election.
The Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee approved sponsorship for two bills that would place residency requirements on candidates for elected office. For people seeking county office, such as county coroner or assessor, there would be a one-year residency requirement to be eligible to run and hold office.
“You’ve got to live in your county for a year before you can take that office,” said Rep. Tyler Lindholm, R-Sundance, who brought the bill forward. “Statute is kind of relatively unclear to our county elected officials. It required an (attorney general’s) opinion the last time it came up.”
Lindholm said without the Legislature taking a firm stand and putting in clear residency requirements, when any issue comes up about a candidate’s residency, there will have to be a new Wyoming attorney general’s opinion to solve the issue.
The proposed bill will also require county officials to remain a resident of the county they serve during the length of term.
Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, said he wouldn’t support the bill because he felt it wasn’t necessary and could be detrimental to filling important positions.
“I think the bill is really moot. I think unless you’re a resident for a little while, the chances of you getting elected county commissioner are, for practical purposes, zero. Don’t care if you run or not, but I don’t think you’re getting elected,” Scott said. “I think in some of the smaller counties, your pool of people who could potentially do the job (of county attorney or coroner) are so small that it’s a mistake to put in the one-year residency requirement.”
Lindholm said it is up to county commissioners to tackle an issue if there are no candidates for county attorney or coroner who step up to run for office. Counties have the ability to contract with another county’s coroner, so that would solve that issue. And Lindholm said the reason a county might not be able to find an eligible candidate for county attorney is because of the low pay relative to the private sector.
The Corporations Committee also approved sponsorship of a bill that would require a candidate for governor to take an oath stating they’ve been a resident of the state for five years. While the Wyoming Constitution mandates a five-year residency to run for governor, the form to apply to run for office doesn’t include a section that requires the candidates to include the residences in which they’ve lived in the past five years.
The issue of gubernatorial candidates running for office without establishing residency came into focus this election cycle. Taylor Haynes ran for the Republican nomination for governor, but lawyers with the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office filed a complaint in July alleging he lived on the Colorado side of his ranch straddling the southern Wyoming border.
A judge eventually ruled that Haynes could continue his campaign, which he lost to now-Gov.-elect Mark Gordon.