Fremont County is large, diverse, and filled with opinions, or “talk in the 10.” “Talk in the 10” is an opportunity for you, our readers, to articulate and share your thoughts about what is happening in the community with the community. Letters may have been edited for clarity and length, but generally have been published exactly as received. The views expressed in the following are solely those of the author. Send your letters to our editors by emailing opinion@county10.com
Dear Editor,
The Fremont County Association of Governments (FCAG) recently revised their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of how funds from the ½% sales tax will be expended. It significantly reduced the proportion going to direct investment in local businesses, expanded funds into transportation systems—including commercial air service—and added commitments to fund ambulance service. For all the leaders who worked together revising this MOU and solving critical shortfalls to our economic infrastructure—our county is lucky to have you.
Politics is armchair quarterbacking; all of us could have done it better. Over the last four years, some of the uses for this tax were head scratchers. We all asked ourselves at some point ‘why was this granted for a business or group and not another?’. Every application was scrutinized and evaluated by engaged and civic-minded citizens. Our elected leaders made difficult choices on what to fund and what to deny. Sour grapes and calls of unfairness were inevitable.
However, these applications also brought something to the forefront that has been missing in our political discourse for a long time—a reminder of how much economic life and government are intertwined. And no, not a command-and-control Marxist intersection. No government exists without an economy. Absent a healthy economy, a government responsible to the people cannot exist. Do they make missteps? Absolutely.
The challenge of rural counties in a rural state, is how to tune up and accelerate an economic engine that benefits everyone with minimal burden on taxpayers. In Wyoming, we levy no taxes on food and medical services. Our government tries its best to stay out of the way. But every now and then, a nudge is warranted. In November, I urge you to renew the ½% sales tax for economic development. A healthy community requires a healthy economy.
Sincerely,
Mick Pryor
Hudson