The Mayor’s Minute from Mayor Patrick Collins – April 11, 2025
Published on April 11, 2025
The budget process for the mayor and city treasurer is a long one. We start in February and we complete the process at the end of June. State law requires the city to have a balanced budget. This week, we ended the first phase where I finalized my budget recommendations. Robin, our treasurer, will now finish the budget book in preparation for the second phase where we present the budget to the City Council. Chief of Staff Amber Ash and Robin are great teammates and made the process fun.
The Greater Chamber of Commerce April luncheon featured Brenda Hensen, the director of the Wyoming Department of Revenue and a high school classmate of mine. With property tax being in the news recently due to the debates at the Legislature, I found the presentation fascinating. Brenda talked about the formula used to determine the property tax we pay to fund local governments and special districts including our county fire districts. She also explained the different programs available to help people who are struggling to afford to pay their property taxes. It is a complicated subject, and she did a great job explaining it. Our county assessor is a great resource if you have questions on your property taxes.
I am a huge fan of Johnny Cash. When I heard the Civic Center was hosting the show, “Folsom Prison Experience,” I ordered tickets. The show contacted me and invited me to play a prison guard. I enjoyed wearing my prison uniform, hat, and badge and helping at the photo booth. The show was great and the man who played Johnny was amazing. Edward and Ennis are two guards who stole the show! Judy and I had a great time. The Civic Center is a great place to watch a show.
My job as mayor sometimes results in amazing experiences, like the opportunity to ride in the Big Boy locomotive from Greeley to Cheyenne. The engineer, Ed Dickens, came by to talk about the Union Pacific steam program and Big Boy. I love that we have this amazing piece of history restored and based here in Cheyenne. We got a history lesson about the program and our Big Boy locomotive on display in Holliday Park. I am looking forward to this summer when Big Boy comes out and we get to hear the whistle taking us back to another time.
I testified before the Public Services Committee this week about our Critical Traffic Control Area ordinance. The program was written to give us a tool to help slow down excessive speeds in our neighborhoods. We designated Gardenia Drive for our first effort and I was pleased with the success. We learned that the ordinance needs a few minor tweaks before we designate the next roadway. The committee unanimously approved them, and the next step is the full governing body.
Healthcare and insurance are complicated subjects. The city has an employee committee that helps our team decide on benefits like health insurance and I appreciate their help. We met this week and my head still hurts after hearing all the options. The good news is we have selected great companies for our health and dental coverage.
The BOPU held a water summit last month and I came away understanding we need to change the way we use water as a city. I met with Jason and Sam who run our city parks to talk about ways we can reduce our water usage and maintenance costs. I appreciate the way they always bring solutions to challenges I bring to their department. It was a good start to the quest to use water wisely.
A group of downtown businesspeople came together after the passage of a parking ordinance we passed at the end of last year. They were concerned the ordinance would hurt business and City Council agreed to rescind the ordinance. I had coffee with some of the group to talk about how we can improve communication and be more responsive to the needs of downtown. I appreciate how dedicated they are to the success of our downtown. I also understand the challenges of running a successful business and how important all of us choosing to shop downtown is for their survival. One good thing that came out of this was business owners getting together and finding ways to support each other.
There is a new restaurant in the airport terminal, Nellie’s. I met the airport director there for lunch to get an update on the latest happenings. Judy and I have been flying out of Cheyenne to visit our kids in Bismarck and Reno. We love the convenience of flying from our hometown. Tim confirmed what we see when we fly – the flights are full, and business is good. They are halfway through their master planning efforts to forecast future demands. It was nice to hear the old terminal is getting a new roof and their plans to rehab the interior for a future restaurant. The hyperbolic paraboloid roof is just one of very few left in the country and worth restoring.
I visited the Cole Elementary Cougars this week. They hosted a Prevent Child Abuse Awareness assembly where I talked with the kids and presented a proclamation. The kids were awesome and so well behaved. One highlight was a young man who asked me if I had a dog. I showed him a picture of my dog, Sampson. He then took me to his classroom to meet his emotional support dog, Ali. What a gorgeous 3-year-old companion. Made my day! Thank you, Cougars, for your hospitality.
The BOPU and the South Cheyenne Water and Sewer District (SCWSD) have been talking about a new operating agreement for a few years. We got together for a Dr. Pepper and discussion at McDonalds to check on our progress. BOPU supplies water and sewer services to the SCWSD and our agreement dates back to the early 1970s. Things have definitely changed in the 50 years of the agreement and efforts to modernize are good for both parties. The positive discussions give me hope we are close to a new agreement.
The city and county dedicate a small portion of our 5th penny sales tax to our joint Human Services Advisory Committee where the funding is dedicated to making a difference for the less fortunate in our community. The United Way helps the committee vet the applications and follow up to verify the outcomes. This week, we received a report from United Way on the second year of the three-year collaboratives we are funding. I love the concept of like agencies being paired together and supporting each other. The agencies selected to receive funding are doing such good work for children and families in our community. I appreciate the expertise and dedication of our partnerships and United Way.
If you look at the history of many organizations, you may find a very small group of people with a vision who started it. The Cheyenne Day of Giving is one great example. Greta Morrow and a small group got together 20 years ago and that modest start is today a juggernaut making an impact in the ability of nonprofit organizations. I stopped by their meeting where agencies that receive the donations met with the church congregations and others who help collect donations. Hearing the simple things we take for granted but their clients desperately need was humbling. I would encourage everyone to look at the list of needs and see what you can do to help. Thank you!
Finally, I want to remind everyone that with construction season starting up, please be careful when going through work zones. We’ve had reports of drivers ignoring traffic control signs, flaggers, and detours, which not only poses a danger to our workers, but also puts those drivers and others on the road at risk of getting hurt. Let’s make sure we all make it to our destinations without incident and keep the workers improving our roads safe.