Election Day voters showed up to Rock River’s town hall this morning, despite snow across the county last night. Common themes among them: concerns around government spending, desire for lower taxes and hope in local candidates. Here’s what they had to say.
Editor’s Note: These interviews have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Glen Kline, telecommunications fiber technician. : I think we really need to prioritize our spending. I think there's probably a lot of areas that could get another second look, not just take anything for granted. I think we need to look at everything that we spend money on and make sure it's the most important thing to Wyoming and not just any one particular small group.
The money's gotta come from somewhere. I haven't always lived in Wyoming, and [I] have lived in states with extremely high property taxes. So I think the property taxes that we do pay here are relatively low compared to other areas in the country. I would prefer a property tax over a state income tax any day.
Paul Trione, medically retired disabled veteran: I would like to see a DOGE-like situation where they go through and they rat through every single line item, where money is going and finding out where it's being wasted. If anybody is doing some wink-wink, nudge-nudge crony capitalism and fleecing the taxpayers when they shouldn't be, you know, basically clean house.
I mean, I don't mind paying for what we gotta pay for, but I don't see any need to pay extra or to pay to pad somebody's pockets –– and both parties do it, so it's not like I'm going after one or the other.
Jonathan Moore, ranch hand: I think that's one of the main things in general that I would like to see a difference in Wyoming, is just efforts to really help the small schools be able to stay open.
Especially out here, our closest high school is 45 miles away, and that's all the way to Laramie. So if they can continue to stay out here, then that's what I'd like to see.
Paul Zielke, rancher: Great to see the moisture. [It was a] little tough on the road this morning, but that's good. The crick is up and running. A little bit of a line for the first time ever here in small town Rock River, but that's good to see a good turnout.
If they cut taxes in one place, they'll find another place to tax in another place, I feel like. I do support living in a house as your main residence, and I think that's important. I don't think you should be able to own several homes and just live there for a few weeks and then say out of the year that this is my residence and whatnot. And I think Wyoming is pretty known for that, where a lot of people come live here for a few months or whatever, and it's more of just a summer home. If you can afford to have several homes, I think you can afford to pay taxes.
Scott Taylor, signal maintainer for Union Pacific Railroad: Politics right now is a very sensitive subject across the country, and with everything that's going on right now, I think it's paramount that everyone votes. You should vote along your principles.
We have never really seen a property decrease, tax decrease ever that I can remember. Right now, with as much taxes as we're paying and the group of people that are paying taxes, you have people that are retired that are over the age of 60 that are still paying taxes. They paid taxes their whole life. I think they should get a break. I think veterans should get a break, and just people in general in this country that are poor, that low income shouldn't be as affected by taxes as some of the people that are affluent.
Now, I'm not saying they shouldn't pay any taxes, I'm not suggesting socialism, but I'm saying their value should dictate what they should pay.
And I did get stew, and it's freaking awesome. Anybody around Rock River should come vote just to get the stew. I don't know who made it, but I want the recipe.
