Albany County commissioners approve project list for 2026 special-purpose excise tax after debate over fairgrounds, courthouse and public-safety priorities

Albany County commissioners voted Sept. 11 to adopt a county project list for a proposed 2026 specific-purpose excise tax, approving Resolution 2025-014 after an extended discussion over priorities for fairgrounds repairs, courthouse work, airport projects and public-safety equipment.

The action designates the list of projects the county will present in joint negotiations with the City of Laramie and Rock River for placement on a ballot measure. County staff presented a roster of capital needs totaling roughly $55.6 million as compiled in an updated packet; commissioners debated whether to present the list as prioritized projects or as a menu of specific project amounts.

Supporters of investing in the fairgrounds argued that visible upgrades would help persuade voters. Taylor, a county fairgrounds representative, described long-standing structural and utility problems at the fairgrounds' grandstands and barns, saying, "Today's equipment does not fit in those buildings," and detailed a series of building failures, leaking roofs and dirt floors that complicate animal health and biosecurity responses. Caitlin, a board member of the Fairgrounds Foundation, told commissioners the foundation has…