Wyoming Association of Municipalities pushes for stable local funding, previews 2026 Laramie convention

LARAMIE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Association of Municipalities told Laramie city leaders on Aug. 26 that it is pressing for more stable, direct funding for municipalities, tracking several state policy fronts that could affect local budgets and services, and that Laramie will host WAM's 2026 summer convention.

WAM Executive Director Ashley Wham outlined the association's priorities in a roughly hour‑long presentation to the Laramie City Council, saying the association seeks to “protect local autonomy, reduce taxpayer burden, and ensure that policies reflect the realities you guys face on the ground.”

Why it matters: WAM represents Wyoming's 99 cities and towns and lobbies the state legislature on municipal funding and regulatory issues. The association's work can change how state revenue is shared with cities and how state rules affect local services such as emergency response, water, and land use.

Most immediate: Wham said WAM and partners are proposing a change to the distribution of the first four pennies of state sales tax to create a direct distribution model. Under the proposal described to council, an 8 percentage‑point adjustment would move the share from the current 69% state / 31% local split toward a roughly 61% state / 39% local split, producing an estimated $77 million a year (about $154 million per biennium) in more-direct local distributions if the numbers hold. Wham said the plan would preserve the hardship formula that benefits smaller or declining communities.

"We proposed an 8% change... it would be direct distribution that would keep you full," Wham told the council when asked whether the change would penalize communities that previously benefited from hardship adjustments.

Policy fronts WAM is tracking: Wham summarized a broad legislative and administrative agenda the association is monitoring or engaging on — a partial list she presented includes:
- Gaming and simulcasting: House Bill 85 on historical horse racing stalled in the Senate last session, and committees are now debating how local approval and zoning should interact with expanded gaming and simulcast operations. Wham said WAM is tracking online sports wagering remittance, skill‑based amusement games and pari‑mutuel issues, and the question of whether some gaming revenue streams would be routed first to state funds and then redistributed.
- Public records deadlines: Wham said one proposal would shorten response time for public records requests from 30 days to 10 days; WAM and municipal partners expressed concern about the compliance costs and redaction burdens such a change would impose.
- NextGen 9‑1‑1: WAM is tracking projected costs to upgrade public safety answering points (PSAPs). Wham said the state faces a roughly $3 million up‑front gap and another $3 million in ongoing costs to meet NextGen requirements; members continue to explore funding mechanisms.
- Housing and municipal finance: WAM is developing a municipal finance report with the University of Wyoming’s Center for Business and Economic Analysis to give legislators consistent, comparable local budget data. The association is also exploring creation of a state housing investment fund and other regulatory reforms to speed housing development.
- Administrative rulemaking and state boards: Wham noted rule changes at the State Land Investment Board (direct investment in equities) and a proposed 25% local match rule change at the Wyoming Business Council, which she said many communities find difficult to meet.
- Federal matters and environmental rules: Wham said WAM is monitoring EPA lead-and‑copper rule revisions and lead service line replacement timelines, plus federal surface transportation funding where some communities fear cuts to the Surface Transportation Block Grant program.

Public records and transparency: Wham emphasized WAM’s nonprofit status and thanked Laramie for membership dues and participation. She also discussed WAM’s advocacy limits and said the association does not lobby using membership funds but uses non‑dues revenue for some advocacy work.

WAM programming and local convention: Wham and administrative director Erla Cechi presented a memorandum of understanding for WAM’s 2026 summer convention to be held in Laramie. Under the MOU outlined to council, WAM will coordinate programming, registration, exhibitor management and invitations; the host city will provide venue, hospitality and at least some reception and catering logistics. WAM said it reimburses host cities 10% of registration fees as an incentive and will be on site the day before the convention to help with setup. Wham said WAM prefers six breakout rooms, handles exhibitor setup/teardown and will collaborate on local community attractions and tours for attendees.

Council feedback and next steps: Council members thanked WAM for tracking complex legislation and said the municipal finance report and convention logistics will be useful to Laramie. Councilor Mark Shumway asked whether the proposed direct distribution would retain hardship protections; Wham replied it would, saying the hardship formula would remain intact within the direct distribution model.

No formal action was taken by the city; WAM left the MOU and convention plan with staff to coordinate logistics and follow up with the city manager's office.

— Reporting by the Laramie City Council work session transcript and presenters' materials.