Downtown Cheyenne property owners to vote on their taxes
Sep. 22—CHEYENNE — Next month, downtown commercial property owners will vote on whether they want to continue taxing themselves to fund local event, improvement and infrastructure projects.
Beginning Monday, they'll be able to request absentee ballots to send in for the Oct. 18 election.
This election happens every four years, and they almost always vote to maintain these taxes.
It's called a mill levy tax. The monthly fee is proportional to the value of the property, and it funds the Downtown Development Authority. For every property someone owns, they get one vote, and it does not include residential properties. They are voting whether or not to keep that tax in place.
There are around 240 voting members, though fewer than 150 ballots have been cast in the last two elections.
The mill levy usually generates around $350,000 each year for the DDA. They use that tax money for four main projects:
— Landscaping and beautification
— Sponsorship of events run by Visit Cheyenne (Fridays on the Plaza, Edgefest, etc.)
— Plan of development
— Capital and façade improvement grants
Most of the money is spent on grants to downtown property owners. The capital improvement grant is used to support exterior projects for businesses like signage, awnings, benches and windows for up to $50,000.
Projects like the ADA ramp for the future home of MHP on 15th Street and the patio for Westby Edge Brewing were funded by this grant.
The façade improvement grant gives businesses looking to revamp the outside of their building, but keep the historical attributes to it, support of up to $10,000.
In FY22, the DDA spent almost $840,000 on these economic development services.
During that same year, 65 new businesses opened, sales revenue increased 14% and downtown visitors increased 180%.
Since the DDA became a part of the city of Cheyenne in March, all of the organization's administrative fees — about $290,000 last year — are now covered by the city.
"The things that will be going on in the next year to two years are just going to be amazing," said DDA administrator Thom Gabrukiewicz. "I mean, we've got development going in downtown. We've got development going all over the city."
He said he hopes that the mill levy tax will remain in place when it goes up for a vote. DDA Board President Wendy Volk believes it will.
"Our downtown really should, in my opinion, be serving as a catalyst for economic development, redevelopment and revitalization. And it's one of the crown jewels of our community," Volk said. "It's had this historical ebb and flow of when retailers have been primarily concentrated there."
The DDA formed in 1984 in response to retailers leaving the downtown area for newer developments like Frontier Mall.
Glen Garrett was its first secretary and remains involved. He will be an election judge for the vote at the Cheyenne Depot. He said it's more than just property owners who are stakeholders in this election.
"Property owners are the taxpayers, but the money that they get to pay their taxes comes from the businesses that occupy those properties. And so, there is this vital link, and I think that the retailers and the merchants have a big stake in downtown," Garrett said. "They do have some power or influence in terms of talking to their landlords about this. The fundamental thing is that the government, the DDA, can do things for the entire area that individual property owners can't do for themselves."
He has seen the mill levy tax not pass in the past, but very rarely. If it doesn't pass, the DDA will rely on reserve funds.
"Whatever happens, happens. The DDA will continue. We'll just have less money," said Gabrukiewicz.
In the last election in 2019, the tax passed with around 70% of 127 ballots in favor.
Noah Zahn is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's local government/business reporter. He can be reached at 307-633-3128 or nzahn@wyomingnews.com. Follow him on X @NoahZahnn.
