Budget first reading flags $7,500 proposal for Lucky’s Place; mayor urges written service agreement

Councilman Wade Bitter presented the FY2026-27 budget first reading, reporting a $4.4 million cash balance versus a $3.5 million planned budget (about $800,000 favorable), March revenue $13,000 above budget and expenses below plan. Priority capital items cited included five road projects with $500,000 for chip seal and roughly $750,000 in new water-authority projects carried into the draft budget.

A contentious topic was a proposed $7,500 appropriation for Lucky’s Place animal shelter (down from an originally proposed $15,000). Mayor Rok said she was concerned the proposed appropriation might violate the Wyoming Constitution if the town provided public funds to a nonprofit without a clear contractual exchange for services and noted that mayors in nearby towns reported they do not fund Lucky’s Place. Rok suggested the town ask a Lucky’s Place representative to present documentation that supports a contractual request.

Councilman Kirsten Merrill said the intent of the funding was to compensate Lucky’s Place for specific services the town relies on—holding animals collected by the town’s Special Municipal Officer, confirming citation fees before release, and accepting strays or animals during emergency responses—and that prior arrangements were handled via invoices for services rather than a standing contract. Council members agreed that any future appropriation should be supported by a written service agreement describing services and costs before the council commits funding. Councilman Bitter emphasized this was a first reading and line items could be adjusted for second reading.