Casper council advances Westridge street project; residents dispute notices, damage and assessment math

The Casper City Council on May 6 approved first-reading ordinances to confirm assessments for Local Assessment District (LAD) 159, Westridge Improvements Phase 1, and to create LAD 161 for Westridge Improvements Phase 2 while residents raised concerns about notification, yard damage and how individual assessments were calculated.

The measures, which passed unanimously on first reading, formalize estimated homeowner assessments of about $452,727 for Phase 1 on a $2,260,000 project and an estimated $391,000 assessment share for Phase 2 on a roughly $2,240,000 project. City officials said those assessment totals are estimates and that property owners can pay in installments over up to 10 years at a statutorily set interest rate.

The council’s action moved the projects forward after several Westridge-area residents spoke at a public hearing. One homeowner who said they learned about the assessment only after closing on their house told the council, "I may not have bought the house if I would have known this." Another resident who said they…