Constitutional amendment on this year’s ballot

In addition to voting for a number of city, county, state and federal candidates, Sheridan County voters this year will decide whether to continue the current capital facilities tax – and will join other Wyoming voters in deciding on a proposed constitutional amendment.

The amendment is to remove the existing constitutionally specified limit on the amount of debt a municipality can create for sewer projects and allow the Legislature to prescribe the debt limit for municipal sewer projects.

Currently, Wyoming’s constitution limits total debt for municipal projects to 4 percent of the assessed value of the taxable property within a municipality, but then allows for an additional 4 percent debt for municipal sewer projects.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment A, if passed by voters on Nov. 3, would remove that additional 4 percent limit for sewer projects.

Amendment A was introduced in the Legislature by Republican Representative Lloyd Charles Larsen on Jan. 7, 2019, who said removing the 4 percent cap is needed because municipalities need the ability to have more money to complete sewer projects.

Larsen’s resolution was approved in Wyoming’s House on Jan. 24, 2019, and in the Senate on Feb. 21 of that year.