10/05/2026
Can Wyoming Survive a 50% Reduction in Residential Property Taxes?
HINT: Wyoming state and local governments are flush with cash…they have more money than they know what to do with…a $13.8 billion surplus (from fiscal year 2019 through fiscal year 205) and a $42 billion cash reserve (the 10th largest of any state in the country…despite having the smallest population…Wyoming’s cash reserves compete with states like Texas, California, New York and Florida).
Hello everyone!
In recent days, everyone seems to be turning their attention to the constitutional amendment that will be on the November ballot to reduce primary residential homestead values by 50%.
Also known as ‘Prop 1.'
Those who profit off tax revenue say Wyoming will cease to exist if RESIDENTIAL property taxes are reduced 50%.
They would tell you that our essential government services REQUIRE residential property taxes.
However, looking at Wyoming Department of Revenue and Department of Audit reports, saying that Wyoming will cease to exist is a bit of a stretch.
What they do not tell you is that RESIDENTIAL property taxes are only 9% of all local government revenues (Education, Counties, Special Districts, Cities/Towns).
Those who profit off tax revenue intentionally ignore the other 91% of the equation when having this conversation.
If we could fund Education, Counties, Special Districts and Cities/Towns with 96% of their current revenue AND give you back 50% of your residential property tax, why would you not do that?
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JUNE 15 FACEBOOK POST (‘Will Wyoming Local Governments Collapse?’)
On June 15, I posted a Facebook article (Will Wyoming Local Governments Collapse?) which showed the impact to our Counties by reducing RESIDENTIAL property taxes 50%.
That article has received more than 65,000 views (it’s gone up 20,000+ views in just the last couple of weeks)…it shows you that God is at work trying to spread the truth.
If you have access to Facebook, please review that June 15 article when you have a chance. It provides a county by county summary of the impact of a 50% RESIDENTIAL property tax reduction.
If you do not have access to Facebook, I have added the attachment below (along with my Prop 1 article).
Please share the June 15 Facebook article and/or the attachment below (along with my Prop 1 article) with your friends, family and neighbors.
There is a significant amount of money being spent to defeat Prop 1. We are only going to win if you spread the word to your friends, family and neighbors.
In that June 15 article, I shared with you that 92% of County revenues come from non-RESIDENTIAL tax revenues (other property taxes (Minerals, Non-Minerals, Commercial, Industrial, Agriculture), sales taxes, motor vehicle taxes, gasoline taxes, mineral severance taxes, federal grants, state grants and loans, charges for services, payments in lieu of taxes (PILT), investment earnings.
Which means 8% of County revenues come from RESIDENTIAL property tax revenues.
A 50% reduction means County revenues are reduced 4%.
How many Wyoming households have to adjust their annual budgets 4% each year?
But, remember…the other 96% of revenues (other property taxes, sales taxes, federal grants, state grants, etc.) will continue to increase to offset any 4% reduction…so 4% is really less than 4%.
It is also important for you to remember what I have shared previously…from the end of 2018 through the end of 2025, Wyoming has the slowest growing economy of any state in the country.
Wyoming’s economy is #50 out of 50.
When the private sector gives too much of its money to government, their economies suffer…i.e., Wyoming.
How many of you need more money in your pocketbook vs. putting even more money in the government pocketbook?
Your incoming legislature and governor see you as their personal ATM machine.
On November 3, you have a chance to decline their attempt to withdraw even more money from your bank account.
Vote ‘YES” on November 3 to approve the 50% RESIDENTIAL property tax reduction.
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50% RESIDENTIAL REDUCTION VS. HIGHEST RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAXES IN THE HISTORY OF WYOMING
On November 3, 2026, Wyoming voters will have an opportunity to give themselves a 50% residential property tax break...
OR
..continue to see the highest residential property tax values in the history of the state.
Did you know your RESIDENTIAL property taxes increased 73% from fiscal year 2019 through fiscal year 2024?
Our state legislature granted some short term reductions in residential property taxes over the last couple of years.
But most of those reductions sunset in the next one to two years.
The incoming legislature and governor WILL NOT extend those reductions.
The incoming legislature and governor MUST get their hands on as much of your money as they can.
This constitutional amendment is your ONE chance to give yourself a break…
ONE chance to increase your household income to be able to afford more food, clothing, rent, mortgage, insurance, car payments, etc.
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‘AND’ IS A VERY POWERFUL WORD
What if passing Prop 1 meant that Taxpayers AND Local Governments win?
If I were to tell you that a 50% reduction in RESIDENTIAL property taxes meant that local governments (Education, Counties, Special Districts and Cities/Towns) would still have an $837 million SURPLUS (revenue > expenditures) and a $1.6 billion cash reserve (using FY19-25 data as a baseline), would you vote ‘YES’ or ‘NO?’
If Prop 1 passes in November, taxpayers win…they see a 50% reduction in their RESIDENTIAL property taxes…more money in their household budget.
If Prop 1 passes in November, local governments win…they see a sizable surplus ($837 million) and a sizable cash reserve for rainy days ($1.6 billion) (using FY19-25 as a baseline).
Everyone wins…taxpayers win (50% reduction in residential property tax)…local governments win (sizable surplus and cash reserves).
If Prop 1 fails in November, taxpayers lose and local governments take even more money out of your pocketbook.
If Prop 1 fails, Wyoming households have less money in their pockets to afford food, clothing, rent, mortgage, insurance, car payments, etc.
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$18 BILLION
In fiscal year 2025, Wyoming state and local governments collected $18 billion in revenue.
There are only 590,000 men, women and children in Wyoming.
$18 billion divided by 590,000 = $123,000 for a Wyoming family of four.
How many Wyoming families of four saw $123,000 in ‘essential’ state and local government goods and services in fiscal year 2025?
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ESSENTIAL vs. NON-ESSENTIAL
Our incoming legislature and governor will tell you that if you do not give them your money, that they will not be able to buy police cars, fire trucks or hire sheriff’s deputies.
My question to that response: with the sizable surpluses and cash reserves of local governments, why have they not already been buying police cars and fire trucks or hiring more sheriff’s deputies?
How many of you honestly believe that every single tax dollar spent by our counties is spent on ‘essential’ government goods and services? That not a single tax dollar is spent on ’non-essential’ government goods and services?
The reality is that our state and local governments do not spend your tax dollars on ‘essential’ goods and services (i.e., police cars, fire trucks and sheriff’s deputies).
Sheridan County is a great example…a majority of current Sheridan County commissioners would tell you they do not have enough money to buy police cars, fire trucks and sheriff’s deputies, but they spent $3 million on an outdoor flower garden next to their courthouse two years ago.
What is more ‘essential' to Sheridan County residents? An outdoor flower garden or police cars, fire trucks and sheriff’s deputies?
The Sheridan County commissioners would tell you that an outdoor flower garden was more essential than police cars, fire trucks and sheriff's deputies.
TO BE CLEAR…one of the most important functions of local government is supporting our first responders (police and fire)…I would fully expect counties, cities and towns to spend our money on our first responders.
With a $1.1 billion county surplus (fiscal year 2019 through fiscal year 2025) and a $1.9 billion county cash reserve (end of fiscal year 2025), though, our counties had plenty of additional cash on hand to support our first responders…but now they are telling us with a $1.1 billion surplus and a $1.9 billion cash reserve that they are ‘out of money.’
If you had a $1.1 billion household surplus and a $1.9 billion cash reserve, could you afford police cars, fire trucks and sheriff's deputies?
Why were our counties not supporting our first responders over the last 7 years with these sizable surpluses and cash reserves?
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WYOMING EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
In a future article, I will tackle the red herring arguments being presented by the Wyoming Education Association.
They would have you believe our kids will fail school or that we will not have enough money for our high school football teams if RESIDENTIAL property taxes are cut.
DO NOT BELIEVE A WORD THEY SAY…
The WEA also sees you as their personal ATM machine.
'More, more, more…'
'If you give me ‘more,’ your children will achieve academic utopia.'
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The purpose of today’s article is to complement the June 15 article.
The additional attachment below covers the following topics:
Would you vote ‘yes’ to Prop 1 if Counties had an $837 surplus and a $1.6 billion cash reserve?
Prop 1 is a ‘Win Win’ for Taxpayers and Local Governments
Surplus by County if Prop 1 Passes
Essential vs. Non-Essential Government Spending (do our local governments actually spend every tax dollar on ‘essential’ government goods and services?)
Who Receives Property Taxes?
% of Revenue from Residential Property Taxes vs. % of Revenue from All Other Sources
Where Do Counties Get Their Revenue?
What % of Property Taxes are ‘Residential?’
How Many Wyoming Households Adjust Their Annual Budget 4% Per Year?
Red Herring Arguments (with Counter Arguments)
Wyoming’s State and Local Governments Are Flush With Cash...
…Wyoming’s Economy (and Schools) Are Dying
Why Have a Rainy-Day Fund If It Is Never Used?
How much is $52 million?
How much is $18 billion?
Final Thoughts and Questions
PLEASE PASS THIS EMAIL AND/OR FACEBOOK LINK ALONG TO YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS.
Yours kindly,
B Alfred Marshall