ROCK SPRINGS — The Sweetwater County Conservation District is asking residents to support a proposed property tax when casting their ballots in November.
Voters will be asked during the general election if they support a new mill levy of up to 1/4 mill. A mill levy is a tax applied to the assessed value of a property, with one mill representing $1 for every $1,000 of assessed value. For the conservation district, up to 25 cents would be levied for every $1,000 of assessed value. According to the district, that would amount to about $4.75 every year from a home with an assessed property value of $200,000.
If passed, the initiative would reappear on the ballot every four years until it is defeated.
The conservation district has a number of roles within the county. The conservation district participates in discussions and projects involving local, state, and federal land and natural resource issues within the county, while also funding natural resource improvements. The district’s board of supervisors consists of five positions that are elected, with three positions up for election in November. Three candidates are seeking election to those positions.
If approved, the additional revenue would support the district’s goals. The district already receives funding through a variety of sources, such as grants, partnerships, and state and federal programs, while relying largely on county funding. Though, according to a press release from the district, “dependence on external funding remains uncertain.”
The district says natural resource needs are evolving and are increasing costs for the district’s services, saying the establishment of a local funding source would increase revenue and provide greater flexibility for the district’s initiatives.
