Kaysen’s Korner It is very hard to imagine that we are wrapping up 2017. As we are buttoning up November and entering full-on into the Holiday season, the WAM staff is very appreciative for the work each of you do to strengthen the cities and towns in our amazing state, and you do it 24 hours a day throughout the year. While you are dusting off your snow plows, completing your street projects, and as always monitoring your annual budgets, our Legislators are rounding up a very full summer and fall of interim committee meetings. This year was particularly busy as our thoughtful Legislators met to try and find solutions to Wyoming’s economic conditions and numerous other issues. At the close of the 2017 General Session, the Legislative Management Council assigned interim priority topics to the various committees ranging from state benefits, education finance, healthcare, economic development incentives, air service, tax increases and many more. Each legislator serves on at least two joint legislative committees, making their citizenled commitment extending throughout the year. There were ten different Joint Interim Committees, and several select committees that met over 35 times (2-3 days typical) discussing 74 varying priority topics in 17 cities and towns across Wyoming. WAM staff attended, and often testified, at most of the interim meetings traveling over 6,500 miles. The bills that come out of the interim committees are moved on to the legislative session. The 2018 Budget Session starts February 12th, and is scheduled for 20 days. Any bill that makes it through two-thirds vote of the House and Senate committees will be voted on by the full Legislature. There is also the possibility of a Legislator(s) sponsored bill that could be considered. WAM’s Municipal Finance Report Volume II, published in mid-September, was a useful guide throughout the interim season. WAM formally presented this report to the Joint Revenue Committee in September, and is scheduled to present the report to the Joint Appropriations Committee in January. This report compared Wyoming’s municipal finance structure to other surrounding and energy states, recommending various options for municipal revenue reform. Much of the discussion with legislators and municipal leaders was on municipal revenue and forward progression of our communities. Having this report as a road map has been very useful. Important topics discussed at some of these interim meetings and that are also on WAM’s legislative agenda were: • Local Government Direct Distribution • Municipal Extraterritorial Jurisdiction • Tax on tobacco and alcohol • Property tax revisions • Municipal tax additive to the local option taxes
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• Unemployment compensation exemption for seasonal employees • Municipal government’s authority on surface water drainage systems WAM hosted fall region meetings inviting the local legislators for a Municipal Legislative Exchange. To date, we have facilitated five of the six regions (to be completed in the first week of December) with an extremely favorable outcome of good dialogue and education. The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) presented updates on the specific regional highway construction projects and provided answers to some of the challenges of the WyoLink emergency communication system. Following this informational input from WYDOT, many legislators and municipal leaders joined in discussions, sharing their concerns and ideas regarding the fiscal condition and future of Wyoming’s municipalities. If you were not able to join, we encourage you to reach out to your WAM Regional Board Directors for an update, or call the WAM staff. In mid-November, four Wyoming municipal delegates, Deputy Director Laurie Heath, and I attended the National League of Cities’ (NLC) convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Among the many workshops provided, there were a few similar themes to Wyoming like 5