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…