The finalized $130 million Laramie County sixth penny sales tax ballot proposal is now available for all of us to review and learn about. Each time the tax comes up for renewal the tussel between needs and wants works through the give and take of our Laramie County Commissioners, Cheyenne City Council and Mayor, and the city officials in Pine Bluffs, Albin and Burns.

In some past year’s, the angst produced by these discussions has led to finger pointing and very public squabbles over the issues involved. That has sometimes created less input from the public and confusion for voters.

It is a credit to our elected officials, and the professional staff members that support them, that the process this time around has been orderly and open. That’s not to say there were not disagreements and arguments along the way, but the wrangling has proceeded in a professional and respectful manner. We can be proud of the way this process has been handled all the way around.

These elected officials have done their hard work in coming to consensus on the projects and wording.  Between now and election day November second, as voters we must do our own homework to make our own informed decisions. Local media will be writing and talking about the proposals. Officials must be careful about the things they say about the ballot and cannot be electioneers for any specific projects over others. Obviously they have come to a consensus in putting together the ballot wording and are in support of passing the renewal of the tax.

There’s no better time to undertake the learning process than now. With 14 individual propositions in the tax proposal, it will take some time and effort to understand them all. But we must be good citizens and voters by completing this assignment. 

The ballot proposal will soon be available to read and review on the county and city websites, and there will be opportunites to hear about and discuss the propositions in the months ahead. When you contact your councilman, commissioner, or mayor about the tax ideas, please be sure to thank them for the hard work they have already put in to develop the project list.

Hard work has also paid off for new 90th Missile Wing Commander Col. Catherine Barrington. It is great to see Col. Barrington continue the regular facebook live conversations begun by her predecessor.  Not sure if Barrington will don the costumes and provide some of the antics employed by Col. Pete Bonetti before her, but it’s good to see her willingness to be open with her Wranglers and the public. The Barrington’s have been at Warren before and we are lucky to have them back in leadership. 

Col. Bonetti steered the wing through the pandemic, the beginnings of Minuteman III upgrades and plans for its replacement, the coming Ground Based Strategic Deterrent. We wish him and his family well.

Col. Barrington’s steady hand will be needed as those upgrades and GBSD plans intensify and move toward implementation. The balancing act of keeping the Minuteman III’s on line 24/7 while moving toward GBSD will take her level headed guidance, and she is certainly up to the task.

Southeast Wyoming is blessed to have strong leadership in place and working together for our civilian and miltary communities.