Dear editor:
For more than 50 years, the Sheridan Recreation District has served our community. Since 1974, families have relied on parks, pools, ballfields, and recreation programs that strengthen health, youth development, and community connection.
House Bill 127, now before the Wyoming Legislature, would change how recreation districts are funded statewide. While procedural in appearance, the bill would introduce significant instability into systems that have operated responsibly for decades.
Under current law, many Wyoming school districts designate a one mill levy to support local recreation districts. In Sheridan County, that designation represents nearly 45 percent of our operating budget, which has already declined approximately 9 percent year over year due to reduced property tax revenues. Across Wyoming, recreation districts depend on stable and predictable revenue to manage public assets responsibly.
These funds maintain pools, parks, trails, and ballfields. They support youth and adult programs, summer camps, and the trained staff required to operate facilities safely. Recreation districts maintain public infrastructure that communities use every day.
HB 127 would require voters to reauthorize this mill levy every four years.
Supporters compare this to lodging or sales taxes that require voter approval. The key difference is that the recreation district mill levy is a property tax paid only by property owners. Yet every registered elector in a county would vote on whether the levy is imposed, including individuals who do not own property or pay the tax. At the same time, property owners who live outside the county would not have a vote on a levy that affects their property.
This structure raises legitimate equity concerns. If the goal is taxpayer voice, the current system already provides it through locally elected officials who are accountable to voters and weigh community-wide interests when allocating funds.
Local accountability is already built in. County commissioners approve the mill levy, and elected school board trustees designate the funding. If citizens disagree, they can hold those officials accountable at the ballot box. That is local control.
HB 127 would replace this representative decision-making process with a recurring statewide mandate. Instead of trusting local leaders to manage local priorities, it imposes uniform requirements on every community, regardless of size or need.
Recurring ballot measures also require administrative preparation by county clerk offices, including ballot printing, notices, and election administration. These costs are funded through county budgets.
For perspective, on a $300,000 home, one mill equates to less than $30 per year, or about $2.50 per month. In Sheridan alone, that modest investment supported 2,200 youth participating in programs last year, along with thousands of other residents participating in recreation programs.
Stable funding allows for long term planning, preventative maintenance, and workforce stability. Deferred maintenance increases future costs and liability exposure. Unpredictable revenue introduces risk statewide.
A single failed reauthorization could force program reductions, fee increases, staff cuts, or even dissolution of a recreation district. Responsibilities could shift to city or county governments while families lose affordable access to recreation.
Wyoming communities have built their recreation systems through decades of fiscal discipline and voter accountability. HB 127 risks replacing that stability with recurring uncertainty. We urge lawmakers to preserve true local control by allowing locally elected officials to continue managing these decisions close to home. The strength of recreation across Wyoming depends on predictable governance and responsible stewardship.
Respectfully Submitted,
Sheridan Recreation District Board
Terry Wetzel, Board President
DJ Dearcorn, Vice President
Jesse Swanke, Secretary
Dale Boedeker, City of Sheridan
Jacob Martin, City of Sheridan
Sarah Mikesell Growney, Sheridan County School District 2 Appointee
