Wyoming Legislature Prepares Fire District Funding Bills After Prop 1 Rejection

State Rep. Lisa Campbell, R-Casper, introduced two legislative proposals on Monday aimed at adjusting how Wyoming counties fund fire districts. These measures follow Tuesday's rejection of Proposition 1, a ballot measure that would have altered the funding structure for these local agencies.

Campbell stated that the failure of Proposition 1 was a relief for her district, which she described as already being stretched thin on water resources. The existing long-term homeowner exemption, single family homeowner exemption, veteran exemption, and 5 percent cap resulted in the district having a hard time lowering its staffing minimum and more frequently burning out or temporarily closing Station 12 in Evansville.

The first bill seeks to increase the fire districts' three mill levy cap to seven mills in the next legislative session. The second bill would allow county commissioners to direct emergency medical district funding to fire districts. Campbell noted that these existing exemptions have taken their toll over the last couple of years.

A previous proposal to raise the mill levy limit from three mills to six mills was passed out of the corporate and elections and political subdivisions committees. However, the full House ultimately did not consider the bill due to limited time during the budget session earlier this year.

One mill represents 10 cents in property taxes for every 10,000 of a property's assessed value. While the amount generated by each mill fluctuates with property values, fire districts are grappling with rising costs for equipment, vehicles, and fuel. Campbell said she has spoken with leaders and fire chiefs in Fremont, Laramie, and Carbon counties about the funding pressures facing their districts.

Raising the levy cap to five mills would likely be enough for districts to break even, Campbell said, while allowing them to levy up to six mills would provide a greater cushion to keep operations afloat. She noted that she would not pursue those bills in conjunction and whichever emerged as the more efficient option would depend on the landscape in the State House and Senate.

The other option is amending Title 25 so that county commissioners could distribute EMS district funding to the fire districts that already respond to medical emergency calls. Despite the four mill levy available to fund emergency medical services, most Wyoming counties have not established EMS districts to collect it.

Many fire protection districts provide emergency medical services, but there is no way to pay them for those services because there is no mechanism to move revenue for that, Campbell pointed out. Even though Proposition 1 failed, which she is very happy about, she said we are still left where we were before.

Leader agreed that six mills would be ideal, and while the district may not need the maximum every year, every little bit helps. The mill levy limit for fire districts was last adjusted in 2023, Leader noted. Leader said the district could also seek an annual funding commitment from the Fremont County Board of County Commissioners.

In September, Leader warned county commissioners the district is facing a 30,000 dollar budget shortfall for the current fiscal year, the Star-Tribune reported. Commissioners questioned the legality of Leader's request that they use property tax payments in lieu of taxes to ease the district's financial stress. Without more funding to adequately staff Station 12, the fire district's eastside station remains at risk of closure, potentially driving up response times, Leader told the Star-Tribune at the time.