‘What would you like us to cut?’: Local lawmaker says Riverton will lose almost $100,000 due to property tax relief

(Riverton, WY) – Wyoming Reps. Joel Guggenmos and Pepper Ottman of Riverton attended a Riverton City Council meeting this week to give a report on the 2025 legislative session.

The majority of the presentation focused on Senate File 69 – a new law that provides a 25 percent property tax exemption on the first $1 million in value for owner-occupied, single-family residential properties, with no backfill funding from the state.

Reduced revenues

To illustrate the impact of SF 69, Guggenmos used data from the Wyoming State Auditor’s Office to estimate that the new law would result in a loss of almost $86,000 in property tax revenues for the City of Riverton – or, “about an .8% reduction in discretionary revenue.”

Combined with “all of the other exemptions” on property taxes that are now in place – for veterans and long-term homeowners, for example – Guggenmos projected that the total combined loss in property tax revenues for Riverton would amount to almost $100,000 – an .86 percent reduction.

“That’s $100,000 that we can’t spend on the things that we need to do,” Councilmember Mike Bailey said after hearing the numbers. “I understand that homeowners have an issue … but what would you like us to cut to save the $100,000?”

Priority No. 1

In response to Bailey’s question, Ottman explained that property tax relief was the No. 1 priority for many state lawmakers this year “because our property taxes have gone sky high.”

“We had to help people that were losing their homes,” she said. “We did the very best we could for the people that were greatest at risk.”

Guggenmos echoed those comments, recalling that property tax relief was a “main thrust” of his campaign.

“That’s why I was elected,” he said. “So that’s why we did what we did. … We got some relief for the people.”

Tax reform

Now, Guggenmos said he intends to work with his fellow lawmakers on a more comprehensive tax reform plan for Wyoming, with the ultimate goal of eliminating property taxes – because “as long as there’s property tax, you never own your property.”

Ottman agreed that the property tax relief measures the state has implemented in recent years only represent “step one” in a longer-term plan to reform Wyoming tax policy.

“We’ve got to be patient,” she said. “Just like President Trump said, to do all these things, to cut all these things, everybody’s going to have to cut back a little bit. … That’s just the mindset. It’s going to take us all.”

Local families have already had to cut their personal budgets due to increased costs in recent years, Guggenmos pointed out – meanwhile, Riverton’s revenues from property taxes have gone up 36 percent since 2019.

“I get it – (this is) a reduction,” Guggenmos said. “That’s never fun for any family or any government. But sometimes you just have to do it.”

Service cuts

Later, Bailey pushed back on Guggenmos’ comment about the increase in property tax revenues for the City of Riverton since 2019, pointing out that the cost to operate the city has increased during that time frame, too.

“The price that we’re having to pay to get a street re-done is up 10, 15, 20 percent a year,” he said. “So to say we’re going to go back to 2019 (with the) amount of money we spend is not reasonable … because to do the same amount of work, it costs more money.”

Councilmember Karen Johnson agreed that, “no matter which way you go when it comes to taxes … it’s really important that the public realizes that in order to get what they’re wanting and save their homes, there’s going to be a reduction of funding coming into the city, (and) a lot of those services that are just expected are going to see cuts.”

“All of these entities … that are coming to the city for money are eventually going to have to realize that they’re going to have to fend for themselves,” she said. “They can’t rely on the city, (because) we’re going to have to prioritize the needs of the city, which is fire, EMS, law enforcement, our water – things that are needed. …

“Finances are going to have to be tightened up because (the legislature is) trying to help people stay in their homes that own them – and rightfully so.”

Other districts

For the Fremont County Solid Waste Disposal District, Guggenmos estimated that the decrease in income resulting from SF 69 would amount to about $62,000 – a reduction of .83 percent.

He also shared numbers for the Riverton Volunteer Fire Department, which he projected would lose about $84,830 – a reduction of more than 12 percent.

“They get hit the hardest because the bulk of their funding is property tax,” he said. 

Mayor Tim Hancock thanked Guggenmos for his “candor” in sharing the data and not “running away from the numbers.”

“It’s not a problem,” Guggenmos said. “This is action that I took, so I need to stand by it.”