House Revenue Committee advances two-year homeowner tax exemption, 8-1

The House Revenue Committee voted 8-1 to give House Bill 169 — a two-year homeowner property tax exemption for tax years 2025 and 2026 — a do-pass recommendation after public testimony and amendments.

The bill would exempt part of residential property value from property tax for those two years and includes a state appropriation intended to backfill 50% of lost local revenue in each year; the appropriation would be prorated if total requests exceed available funding, Department of Revenue staff told the committee.

Municipal officials warned the committee the measure, as written, would reduce local revenues in ways that could force cuts to services. Ashley Harpstreith, executive director of the Wyoming Association of Municipalities, said WAM opposes the bill in its current form because the proposed state backfill is partial and not guaranteed in later years. "We are really concerned and are in opposition at this point," Harpstreith told the committee, and cited city-by-city estimates she said WAM had prepared: Casper could lose about $2,200,000 in the first year; Evanston about $500,000; Mountain View about $60,000.

Cheyenne City Councilwoman Kathy Emmons told the committee Cheyenne levies the full eight mills…