This story is part of our new Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
Albany County voters decided to renew their local sixth penny tax in a special election on Tuesday. The county clerk’s unofficial election night tally shows 78% of the 3,900 residents who cast ballots supported the renewal.
The sixth penny is a voter-approved local tax supporting specific government projects. It can only be used for the proposals outlined in the ballot proposition itself.
The new projects approved this week include a rebuilt fire station, a new county administration building, street buildouts and more.
The new tax will run until it collects a total of $95 million, which is expected to take more than a decade.
Albany County last approved a specific purpose tax in 2018, seeking to raise about $66 million. That total is about to be reached roughly two years ahead of schedule thanks to local wind energy development.
Albany is one of eight Wyoming counties with a sixth penny sales tax.
Laramie County will ask its residents to reapprove its own specific purpose tax this summer, during the primary election. If approved, the county will raise $170 million to bankroll 56 projects addressing infrastructure, public safety and more.
