House Bill 127 would be big blow to Wyoming's quality of life

Over the past couple of weeks, people around the state have been all abuzz over ”Checkgate,” where $1,500 checks were passed around on the House floor.

It’s not a good look, no matter how you spin it. Some lawmakers have criticized this debacle as a distraction. And I somewhat agree.

There are a lot of important bills that lawmakers will debate during the session. Just because the spotlight is shining directly on these campaign donations — as it should — doesn’t mean we can take our eye off of everything else.

House Bill 127, which made it out of committee, would require the recreational mill to go before the voters every four years for renewal. Campbell County has had it in place for more than 20 years. The Campbell County Community Public Recreation District doles out money twice a year to organizations that benefit the public.

Out in Crook County, it’s a new thing. The school board over there voted last year to levy a rec mill, and some of the taxpayers are upset over it.

I see where they’re coming from. From what I’ve gathered, it doesn’t sound like the Crook County school board had much of a plan on how it was going to spend this money.

But I hope they give the recreation district a year to spend the money wisely. This bill is a knee-jerk reaction that could have a big impact on the rest of the state.

Crook County’s assessed valuation in 2025 was $283.2 million, which means its rec mill would raise about $283K. It would go a long way to improving the quality of life over there.

If this bill passes, recreational districts all over the state will be scrambling to figure out life in this new era.

I guess Crook County is just realizing that elected officials can levy mills without going to the voters for approval. News flash: The county commission and city council do it. We might as well put every mill levy up for renewal. Think of all the chaos that would ensue. It would be nearly impossible to do any long-term planning, which is fiscally irresponsible.

Advocates of this bill say that the mill levy is not going away, but rather it’ll be put in the hands of the voters. But I can tell you right now, the first time it’s on the ballot, most people will assume it’s a new tax and vote it down.

Twenty-one other counties already have this mill. Should the whole state move away from the model that’s been in place since the early 2000s just because Crook County doesn’t like it?

In the presidential race, 87% of Crook County voters supported Trump. I’d say it’s a pretty conservative community. If they don’t like how the rec mill is spent, they should vote in a new school board.

Here’s a thought: If the legislature hadn’t slashed property taxes to the detriment of local taxing entities, maybe the Crook County School Board wouldn’t have had to look at the rec mill as an alternative for raising revenue.

Look at the Optional 1% Sales Tax. Those “Penny Power” stickers are all over town on road projects, library books and workout equipment. It’s been in place for nearly five decades, and at this point, it’s got name recognition.

The rec mill board should do the same and promote itself a lot more. There are dozens of examples around Gillette of projects that receive money from the rec mill. Facilities such as the Aquatic Center and Rec Center field house and sports tournaments to after-school and summer programs and community organizations such as the Powder River Symphony.

If the rec mill goes away, all of these programs would have to find other sources of funding. That means more burden on the other taxing entities, like the county and the city.

Recreation may be a want, not a need, but it’s a vital part of any community that wants to be a place for people to raise their families, a place where young adults want to stay.

Maybe Wyoming’s lawmakers don’t want this state to be that kind of place. And that’s unfortunate.