Property Tax Initiative falls short of required signatures

Ballot Initiative proposed cutting property taxes by 50% statewide

AFTON — A ballot initiative aimed at cutting property taxes in Wyoming fell just shy of the required number of signatures.

The Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office said on Tuesday that after review, the petition signatures for the “People’s Initiative to Limit Property Tax in Wyoming through a Homeowner’s Property Exemption” yielded 28,700 accepted valid signatures in total, short of the required 29,730.

According to the Secretary of State’s Office, the required number of signatures by law is based on the number of votes cast in the 2022 General Election.

Although the committee’s first submittal did not achieve the total statewide signature requirements, it did exceed the threshold number of valid accepted signatures of 15 percent of those resident in at least two-thirds of the counties in the state.

“I want to commend the petition’s Committee of Applicants for all their hard work in exercising their Wyoming Constitutional right to enact laws by the initiative,” Secretary of State Chuck Gray said. “Property tax reduction is a very important issue facing our state. The people’s right to propose and enact laws by initiative to address fundamental issues, such as property tax limits, is pivotal. Although the committee’s first submittal was slightly short of the statewide requirement, there is still time to supplement the first submission.”

The committee has 18 months to circulate the petition, in which it will have an opportunity to correct errors or omissions on previously submitted petition packets which were set aside for insufficient verification, as well as the ability to submit additional signatures.

The end of the petition circulation period is April 13, 2025.

Based on historic trends, the number of signatures required will likely increase after the 2024 General Election.

The petition aims to cut property taxes statewide by 50 percent.

If enough signatures are gathered and the petition meets all requirements, the initiative will appear on the ballot in the 2026 election.

Petition organizers have previously stated that they would withdraw the petition should the state legislature enact meaningful property tax cuts and measures. A constitutional amendment will appear on the ballot this November that would separate residential properties from commercial properties with regard to property tax rates.

This story was published on July 31, 2024.