ROCK SPRINGS — After deciding to stop pursuing the 2020 special purpose tax initiative due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn, the Rock Springs City Council is starting those conversations again for the proposed 2022 special purpose tax initiative.
During a special Council meeting tonight, the Council reviewed its 2020 special purpose tax priority list to see if those proposed projects are still viable for the 2022 special purpose tax ballot initiative.
Councilor Keaton West, who is the Council’s liaison on the special purpose tax committee, led the discussion.
“Obviously, it may not set in stone, but the more prepared we are the better,” West said.
Last year, the city’s final request was $29.36 million. Of that, $22.5 million was the city’s own projects.
“I just thought it would be wise for us to kind of come back and revisit some of those…,” West said.
City of Rock Springs Tentative Priority List (No. 7 & No. 8 were added tonight)
- Water reclamation facility odor control/improvement project: $4 million
- NE RS detention basin: $2.5 million
- Misc. sewer projects: $5 million
- Misc. water projects: $5 million
- Misc. storm water projects: $5 million
- Misc. Gateway and Greenbelt beautification improvements: $1 million
- Killpecker Creek project: $5.2 million
- Parks and Recreation projects: $14.3 million
After looking at the list, West asked Paul Kauchich, director of engineering and operations, if he needed to update the priority list. Kauchich said all of those on the list are still priorities for the city and they could even add more.
“We of course have millions beyond that to do. I think we should just leave them at $5 (million),” Kauchich said about the water, sewer and storm water projects.
Rock Springs Mayor Tim Kaumo asked if the Killpecker Creek drainage project could be added to the list. Kauchich said if the Council wants it added to the list, he will add it. Later in the meeting, Kauchich said he had a chance to look up how much the project would cost and it would be around $5.2 million.
Representative Clark Stith (R-Rock Springs) said he thought the Killpecker Creek project may be a great one for the city to seek federal or state funding for it the city could provide some sort of a match. He said the Legislature will be meeting this summer to decide how to spend $1 billion and this might be a project that it would approve. He said the timing would work because the Legislature would make a decision before the project would be placed on the ballot.
Kaumo said the parks and recreation department’s needs are issues the Council is going to have to address at some point or it will just be leaving the problems for another Council to deal with.
Parks and Recreation Department Director Dave Lansang had completed an extensive list of all the projects that needed to be completed across the city, which totaled $14.3 million. The Council asked Lansang to go through all of those projects and pick his top five priorities.
Lansang said he provided the Council with the extensive improvements list so they would know just how much needed to be done. He said the recreation department hasn’t really completed any capital projects since 2008-2009.
Amounts and length of tax
As for the amount of the tax initiative, last time the Sweetwater County Commissioners capped the requests at $80 million stating the taxpayers may not support a tax that would go beyond four to five years. At that time, $80 million would have taken 4 1/2 years to raise. Now, it will take 5 1/2 years to raise the $80 million.
Councilor Rob Zotti said if the tax extends too long it ties the city’s hands if a more important project come up. He won’t support a tax that would go out to 10 years, for example.
West agreed saying the special purpose tax is supposed to help complete projects and then stop to give taxpayers a break. He said it was not meant to be a “forever” tax.
The Council also discussed how long the tax initiative should occur. The Council all agreed they would support a tax that would come off after five to six years.
They also all agreed they would build their priority list around what the Commission feels is “the cap” for the tax. Without knowing what they have to work with, there is not much else they can do at this time.
Sponsorship projects
As for sponsorship projects, only one, the YWCA building expansion, remains in contention from the city’s previous list.
The Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport Commercial Terminal funding assistance for $3.36 million was deleted because the airport is funding that project through grant funding.
During the meeting, Rock Springs resident Heather Anderson who was a huge supporter of the Multi-use Recreational Facility for $13 million said she would not be reintroducing that project due to the current economic circumstances. Anderson did speak in favor of any recreation or park projects the city could add to the list.
