The race for mayor of Alpine has grown heated, and the temporary roundabout didn’t help.
Retired auto service manager Bill Saks and Town Council Member Jeremy Larsen are running against each other in the Nov. 3 general election.
Larsen was part of a grant-funded effort to encourage drivers – especially commuters – to slow down when passing through Alpine on U.S. Highway 89. That led to a temporary roundabout where the highway intersects with Greys River Road.
It was a test run, from Sept. 22 to Oct. 14.
Now analysts are compiling public comments and data from the experiment, to see if that’s the best way to slow vehicle speeds in the fast-growing community.
The U.S. Census Bureau tallied Alpine’s population at 828 in 2010. That swelled to 1,220 in the 2020 census, with current projections at 1,414.
Detractors blasted the roundabout as “stupid.”
Mixed Roundabout Reactions
Saks wasn’t thrilled with it either.
“The roundabout test is over,” wrote Saks in an email to Cowboy State Daily. “In my view, it failed from day one.”
Larsen countered with a chuckle, in a Tuesday phone interview.
“Such a positive man,” said Larsen.
Saks’ email continued, saying he witnessed a tractor-trailer run over the rubber bollards on the test fixture, and just before that happened he heard a person from the grant program say the adhesive needed time to cure.
The semi ran over the bollards and disrupted the circle, which never regained its intended shape, said Saks.
“What were we really testing?” asked Saks. “If the circle couldn’t maintain its intended shape under actual traffic conditions, how meaningful was the test after that happened? What could we learn?”
Larsen countered in his phone interview that the test wasn’t perfect, and town authorities knew people would be driving over the bollards as temporary speed bumps.
Weather Impacted Setup
Some “unaccounted for” weather interfered with the adhesive curing during the setup, he noted.
“Again,” said Larsen, “this was a test case. It wasn’t the actual size.”
If the town installs a roundabout, it’ll be much bigger.
Larsen also said that the comments after the test have been mixed. Many people, especially commuters, resent what they see as a disruption to the drive, he said.
But many Alpine residents have said they feel safer crossing the road, or had an easier time turning onto the highway, Larsen added.
“It’s all over the board,” he said.
A federal Safe Streets for All grant funded the project, said Larsen. He said the data that returns from the consultation will prepare the town to apply for another grant, if building a permanent roundabout is recommended.
Saks noted that during the fall cattle roundup trucks avoided the roundabout “by traveling down my own residential street.”
He said more than 40 truckloads passed by his home, “where children play every day.”
Larsen acknowledged the test happened during the fall cattle roundup, but reiterated that the final roundabout, if there is one, would be bigger and retain its shape.
Larsen’s Background
Both men are transplants to the area.
Larsen, 52, has been involved in the community for 16 years, including serving in fire/EMS, numerous community and charitable boards, and 12 years on Alpine City Council.
“My love for Alpine, I can back up with a lot of experience, because I love this place and want to see it do its best,” he said.
Larsen told Cowboy State Daily the big spat in the mayor’s race is about “growth.” He said he wants to manage the inevitable growth “realistically.”
A classical education charter school opened its doors in Alpine this summer. A hospital with an emergency room had its second-phase opening a couple years ago.
Larsen said his goals after moving to Alpine included helping to bring more restaurants to town, plus a school and a hospital with an emergency room.
“I thought those were pretty lofty goals,” he said. “But look at us now.”
Larsen is originally from Salt Lake City. He had moved to Jackson 30 years ago.
“Met a girl, that girl took me away,” he said, adding that the pair decided to move back to Wyoming 16 years ago – but Jackson had changed.
So they moved to Alpine, which now, “is a very different place” than it was during the great recession.
Both men have made public statements emphasizing the town’s pending land use and development code should fit the residents’ needs and manage growth. Both have urged common sense and transparency.
Saks’ Background
Saks, 67, told Cowboy State Daily he’s been coming to Wyoming since 2003, and moved from Blue Ridge, Georgia, to Hoback in 2016.
He worked for years as the service manager at Teton Motors Subaru in Jackson.
“If you owned a Subaru in this valley, there’s a good chance our paths crossed,” he said.
Saks bought his home in Alpine in 2019.
He said he’s been working since the age of 13 and retired at 65 – but he’s coming out of retirement to run for this position.
“I know what it means to work hard, manage expenses, and be accountable for the results,” said Saks.
He said he’s not running for a paycheck, benefits or a title, but “because I care about Alpine and I believe we need to take a hard look at our finances, how we’re handling growth, and how the town follows through on its commitments.”
Saks said he’s running as part of a slate with town council candidates Mike McElroy and Troy Johnson.
Fact Check
Saks told Cowboy State Daily that Alpine’s revenues increased by 89% from fiscal year 2019 to fiscal year 2025, while its expenditures increased by 128%.
Town administrator Riley Hovorka fact-checked the claims for Cowboy State Daily.
She produced a chart showing the town’s fiscal year 2019 revenue of $3.08 million growing to $6.07 million in 2025, and its expenditures growing from $3.073 million to $6.03 million in that same timeframe.
That would mean revenues grew by 97% and expenditures by 96.2% in the timeframe Saks identified.
Saks also said the town reported a deficit of $604,926 for fiscal year 2025.
Hovorka said the town drew about $149,159 from its water fund reserves that year to fund an unanticipated radio read invoice. But, she added, “We do not know where that $600k figure originated.”
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
