Council attorney: Casper’s straw poll practice is lawful; councilors defend annual legislators’ dinner

A frequent public commenter raised concerns Nov. 4 about transparency in the council’s straw poll for selecting the mayor and vice mayor and asked who pays for the annual legislators’ dinner. The commenter suggested the straw poll — which the council traditionally takes in executive session — functions as the real vote.

City Attorney (Eric) answered that the city’s practice is lawful and that the short answer to whether the process is illegal is "no." He cited state law governing the city-manager form of government and noted that the formal election of mayor and vice mayor occurs in a public meeting after the straw poll. "The straw poll is not a binding official vote," the attorney said, and he emphasized that any official election required by state statute must occur in public.

Councilors including Sweeney and Jensen defended the annual legislators’ dinner as a low-cost, in-kind opportunity — usually hosted at the Fort Wyoming Center — to meet legislators before the session and discuss city priorities. Multiple councilors said the dinner has long precedent and that it supports constructive discussion with lawmakers ahead of the legislative session.

The discussion resolved that the internal straw poll helps council members prepare for the public election but does not replace it. Councilor Jensen said the practice has been in place for many years and that the public, formal vote in January satisfies statutory requirements. "There is nothing secretive," one councilor said, adding that straw ballots are turned in and results reported only as a final count.

No change to policy was proposed or adopted at the meeting; the city attorney’s remarks served to clarify the legal framework and to reassure members of the public about statutory requirements and public accountability.