Council discusses one-time bridge support for Central Wyoming College and county property-tax refund program

Councilors on May 14 discussed a request from Central Wyoming College (CWC) for operational support and the mechanics of the county's property-tax refund program.

Mayor and council members described CWC's effort to include Teton County in the college's taxing district and said the college faces statutory hurdles that may take a year or two to resolve. Council members agreed they would not want to underwrite an ongoing college operation that could be funded by a tax district under state law, but some said they were willing to provide a one-year bridge payment. "I would very much like to have $238,000 in our budget as an aspirational, with the agreement with CWC that this is to help bridge their effort to find a sustainable funding source," the Mayor said.

The council also discussed the state and county property-tax refund program. The state-funded refund program targets property-tax relief for qualifying residents; the county has indicated it may augment that program. The mayor described an approach whereby the town could participate by reimbursing the town's share of refunds to town residents. Staff said a town contribution tied to the current half-mill town levy would be a much smaller annual cost than a contribution tied to a higher mill increase; staff estimated the town's share of the county's enhanced refund program as roughly $110,000 under certain mill assumptions (staff provided a range and said exact numbers would be calculated).

Council members asked for clearer cost estimates and asked staff to model both a one-year bridge appropriation to CWC and the town's potential participation in the property-tax refund program for a range of mill levels. No formal funding decision was made; councilors said they wanted more numbers before committing town dollars.