New: 2025.08.24

Contributed by: Vicki Taylor

Is there a Snake in the Grass?

The Sheridan Press, Aug 16, 2025, re-addressed, "Last Session's Housing Bills could be Templates for 2026 Legislation."

The Wyoming Community Development Authority, (WCDA), made a presentation, on Aug 15th, to the Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Sub-divisions committee.

The WCDA is not a state agency, it is, for the moment, in the business, of creating mortgages, for affordable housing for a fee payed to WCDA, per mortgage.

A new goal of the WCDA, is to fund, with the State Permanent Mineral Trust Fund, "attainable" housing. An attainable house is located on Land Trust housing. The "experts" on the tax-payer funded trust program, includes WCDA Executive Director, Scott Hoversland.

WCDA's, "Statewide Housing Needs Assessment," found no one, with a media income, in all 23 Wyoming counties, could afford to by a home. The remedy, is the tax-payer's, will support developers, and by extension contractors and banks, to build "attainable" houses on a Land Trusts.

WCDA re-addressed, the 2025, 25LS0-0011 Bill, or Tax-Increment Funding (TIF). TIF, also, tax-payer subsidized housing, allows for municipal government to divert tax revenue, to fund development in areas deemed "blighted". In Sheridan this would create apartments in the downtown area.

The Wyoming Business Alliance President, (lobbyist), Renny McKay, wants to "change", or read, "deny" zoning protests against housing projects. This is not free-market capitalism, it is tax-payer supported development projects.

The Wyoming Constitution, Article 16, has a "anti-donation" clause. Tax-payer money, is not, to be, used to fund anyone in the private sector. Developers, contractors, mortgage lenders,are in the private sector. Could this be why these schemes failed in 2025?

Article 16, Section 6 Loan of credit; donations prohibited; investment of funds; works of internal improvement.

• (a) Neither the state nor any county, city, township, town, school district, or any other political subdivision, shall:
• (i) Loan or give its credit or make donations to or in aid of any individual, association or corporation, except for necessary support of the poor; or
• (ii) Subscribe to or become the owner of the capital stock of any association or corporation, except that:
• (A) Funds of public employee retirement systems and the permanent funds of the state of Wyoming may be invested in such stock under conditions the legislature prescribes;
• (B) The legislature may provide by law for the investment of funds not designated as permanent funds of the state in the capital stock of any association or corporation and may designate which of these funds may be invested. The legislature may prescribe different investment conditions for each fund. Any legislation establishing or increasing the percentage of any fund that may be invested under this subparagraph shall be passed only by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all the members of each of the two (2) houses voting separately;
• (C) The legislature may provide by law for the investment of county, city, township, town, school district, or any other political subdivision's funds in the capital stock of any association or corporation and may designate which of these funds may be invested. The legislature may prescribe different investment conditions for each type and class of political subdivision and for each type of fund. Any legislation establishing or increasing the percentage of any fund that may be invested under this subparagraph shall be passed only by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all the members of each of the two (2) houses voting separately.
• (b) The state shall not engage in any work of internal improvement unless authorized by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the people.

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