Building new parks, maintaining trails, building a new fire training facility and beautification of the city of Laramie might not be the first things that come to mind when people hear the word taxes. This August the city of Laramie put the 6th-penny tax on the ballot to be renewed in December of this year. The 6th-penny tax is a sales tax with funds gathered over a 10 to 12 year period to go towards specific projects.
“It’s exciting to see the 6th-penny tax and the high approval rating for the tax. It’s good to know that the people are choosing these as ways to keep our city infrastructure supported,” said Janine Jordan, City Manager of Laramie. With the tax approved the residents of Laramie have so much to look forward to.
The largest chunk of the revenue generated by the tax will go towards repairing roads and improving storm water systems. Driving through town and around the University potholes are apparent.
“Laramie’s street condition is approaching critical,” the Laramie City Council said in a release. When the 6th-penny tax was last passed in 2010, it focused on water, sewer and underground infrastructure. $250,000 has been allocated from the renewed tax for aquifer protection to maintain water quality for the city of Laramie while $22 million is going towards streets and drainage systems. Albany County will also have $4.7 million allocated to road improvements. Repairs in Albany County and in Laramie will benefit residents with newer roads and faster transit.
Laramie, Rock River, Albany County and the Laramie Regional Airport will all be included in the 6th-penny tax. After city streets and drainage new and existing parks will receive the next largest portion for the city of Laramie.
“There are 2 parks in the works right now. There’s a need to tackle infrastructure so replacing playgrounds and restoring parks to the grandeur they’ve had before will have to come first,” said Todd Freezer, Director of Parks and Recreation for Laramie. Knowing that the parks, trails and outdoor opportunities are staples in the community, Freezer hopes to make the most of funds from the tax.
The estimated time for the tax to collect the full amount of $65 million is 10 to 12 years. During that time projects proposed on the ballot will be prioritized by what needs the greatest amount of attention along with recommendations from professional staff.
“We have long term plans for the city, 10 to 20 year plans,” said Jordan. “We review them annually, updating them to reflect any events that happen that could cause an item to be moved up in terms of priority.” One of the unique mandates of this tax is that funds only go towards projects stated on the ballot when voters choose to renew the tax. This prevents the funds from being used for general government operations.
In the upcoming general election people will also have the chance to vote on the 5th-penny tax. Similar to the 6th-penny tax, it generates revenue for general government operations. It funds services and less specific projects that help Laramie.
“Both the 5th and 6th-penny taxes have received strong support”, said Jordan. “It’s clear the people of Laramie want to invest in the community and it’s future.”
For more information on the 6th-pennytax and 5th-penny tax, visit cityoflaramie.org/998/Pennies-Build-Community/#ballot,
