Rep. Dalton Banks addresses questions at commissioner meeting

Before leaving for Cheyenne, Rep. Dalton Banks, R-Cowley, attended the February 3 meeting of the Big Horn County Commission to discuss the budget session. Commissioners Deb Craft and Dave Neves attended in person, with Bruce Jolley via Zoom. Also present were several county officials and staff.

Banks said that because it is a budget session, “everything really is directed at the Joint Appropriations Committee (JAC). So, they are the ones that direct things during the budget session. Committees still have a chance to submit bills.” He added that he chose to hold back most of his bills.

“I decided to hold off on most of my bills, just because it is a budget session. It is going to take us a long time to negotiate the budget. I think that is where our focus needs to be. I decided to put my focus on the budget,” he said.

Taxes

Emergency Management Coordinator LaRae Dobbs, speaking as an individual, said, “The gas tax is a way to have everyone who uses our highways share the cost of the roads. Nobody wants to see gas cost more, but when it is only a couple of pennies on that tax, we really don’t notice it that much as some other things that we would miss if you were cutting money from them to put it over there. Not all of your constituents would be against that.”

She expressed concern about service cuts and urged legislators to speak for hardship counties. She added, “It is imperative that you speak for Big Horn County and not for other organizations that are not Big Horn County that have a big swing down there with our legislators. … You need to take big swings for us. That is what we hired you to do.”

Banks said rural areas are seeking balance, noting, “They are saying, we just need to bring our taxes down and we will be fine. But we are in the rural area saying we’ve got to find a balance here because we want to keep grandma in her house, but we also want to give grandma law enforcement and people in the courthouse. That is the struggle.”

He added hardship counties must work together.

“We were all pretty unified that we needed backfill in these communities, … work around what we can do to bring the governor on board and to get these urban legislators just to understand what we are going through is vital.”

Discussion followed on vetoes and hardship county coordination. Banks said legislators frequently communicate across rural areas and work together on shared concerns.

Sales tax

Dobbs criticized deep property tax cuts, stating, “The Freedom Caucus is not speaking for the general population that I am speaking to here in Big Horn County. They (the people) are not on board with cutting all these property taxes that we rely on for services. From roads to fire to police to ambulance.”

Banks said replacing property taxes with sales tax would be problematic, noting, “I don’t see how that works, and I don’t see how that will cover the cuts we pay in property taxes in the numbers I crunched.” He added, “Secondly, it is punishing the less fortunate people. … I’ve spoken out against that one and said that is not a viable solution to increase sales tax.”

Direct distribution

Banks said direct distribution has remained stagnant and should be increased, telling the commission, “The rural people have come together in the past and were able to bring the number to $146 million. I think if we able to do that again, I think we can get that to $175 million.” He also supports codifying the number.

County Clerk Lori Smallwood warned against overdependence on the state.

“Every time we turn around, they are taking away the county’s ability to take care of itself,” she said. “We don’t want to be wards of the state. We want to take care of ourselves.”

Freedom Caucus questions

Deputy County Attorney Jennifer Kirk asked how Banks balances local concerns with caucus politics, whether his priorities align with “the needs of your constituents or potentially what may not match up with the FC?”

Banks replied, “What we need here, in this district and this area, will always be my priority, what I fight for.” He described forming an informal “Un-Caucus” to build relationships across factions.

Asked about alignment with the Freedom Caucus, Banks said he is not a member. “I have never thought it would be prudent for me to join one of those caucuses because it is just me and House District 26. … That is where my allegiances lie,” he said.

Education recalibration

Banks raised concerns about school funding ratios, saying, “Increasing those ratios is going to cause a lot of problems … not understanding how big of an impact that is going to have on us.” He also warned about combining funding for co-located schools. “That is going to have some pretty disastrous effects,” he said. “We are going to push to not let that happen also.”

State raises and agencies

Dobbs urged legislators to prioritize local needs over state raises, stating, “While we here at the county are struggling to cut back, cut back, cut back … you are here to represent what is happening to us here locally.”

Wyoming Business Council

Jolley asked about efforts to defund the WBC. Banks said opinions are split, noting, “People think that it needs some restructure. There are some people who think it needs to go. I think what is going to happen is that it is going to be restructured.”

WBC representative Kristin Fong said the council is open to change, stating, “I know for certain that the business council is ready to restructure if that is the wish of the state.”

Additional questions

Banks said he regularly consults local officials when evaluating legislation.

“I speak frequently with the superintendents, principals, teachers,” he said. “I speak to the commissioners quite a bit.”

County Attorney Marcia Bean asked for support on prosecutor reimbursement. Banks said he would look for the bill and support it if possible.

Asked about a proposal to sell state lands for $1 an acre, Banks said he doubts it will advance and does not expect it to pass.

With the legislative session ongoing and developments changing daily, Banks said he expects continued conversations with local officials and constituents as key budget decisions take shape. He encouraged residents to stay engaged and reach out with concerns or questions at Dalton.Banks@wyoleg.gov or 307 272-7255.