CASPER—Several parks and other green spaces in Casper will see decreased mowing and associated maintenance this summer as a result of the property tax relief passed by the Wyoming Legislature earlier this year.
The city currently maintains 44 formal parks spanning about 120 acres, plus nearly 100 other landscaped areas, including street corners, street islands, lawns at city-owned buildings and more.
In years past, the city would mow and otherwise maintain those spaces on a weekly basis. However, after the 25% property tax exemption that followed additional cuts the prior year, maintenance at several locations will be cut back to every other week or eliminated.
“Combined with the 2024 cuts they passed last year, that includes the 50% property tax cut for long-term senior residents, this has resulted in a $1.8 million projected shortfall in the general fund that had to be reconciled for [the coming fiscal year],” Parks, Recreation and Public Services Director Zulima Lopez said. “While a $1.8 million shortfall is less than 1% of the total city budget, it represents more than 3% of the $56 million general fund, which is the fund that pays for daily operations like police, fire, streets and parks.”
Lopez said the city parks division is expected to save roughly $144,800 by cutting back park irrigation and fertilizing, as well as reducing various seasonal labor costs. Five seasonal employees were eliminated from the park maintenance operations budget in the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget.
Several factors were considered when deciding which areas would have reduced maintenance, including park popularity, any recent investments, whether there were shelters or other facilities on the site, burden on city staff and more. Lopez pointed to the grassy islands along CY Avenue as an example of a spot where the burden on workers was taken into account.
“CY Islands are difficult, even dangerous, for staff to access,” she said.
Among the locations to see reduced maintenance, the Casper Parks Division will reduce work at all city buildings except for Casper City Hall, where Lopez said landscaping was freshly installed in late 2024.
Park maintenance entails far more than just mowing, Lopez added. Crews also maintain park irrigation systems, fertilize, spray for weeds and perform upkeep on playground equipment. Parks to see reduced maintenance will see reductions in all work.
At a May work session of the Casper City Council, Lopez told councilors that she believes the reduction will have a noticeable and detrimental impact on the aesthetic appeal of the affected parks. She also said the reduced maintenance will likely have a negative effect on many city park rehabilitation projects.
“The longer we sustain reduced maintenance, the higher the cost to restore the turf areas will be,” Lopez said.
At the time, Councilor Amber Pollock suggested possibly cutting back on holiday lighting to leave more funding for maintenance.
“I would be in favor of eliminating [holiday lighting] entirely in favor of moving that funding to help us with turf, because that doesn’t have a potential cost impact to us later,” she said.
The full list of parks and other outdoor locations to see reduced maintenance this summer:
- Alta Vista Park Naturalized
- Long Park Naturalized
- Riverview Expansion Naturalized
- Nancy English Park Naturalized
- Meadow Park Naturalized
- CPU-Fort Casper Naturalized
- Washington Park-West Naturalized
- Washington Park
- Kiwanis Park
- O’Dell Place
- 13th & Collins
- Interstate Park
- CY Islands Park
- Beverly Street
- CY & Poplar NE Corner
- CY & Poplar SW Corner
- Westwood Park
- Yesness Park
- Eastdale Park
- 10th & Missouri
- 12th & McKinley
- Freedom Park
- Green Meadow Park
- Harden Park
- Meadow Park
- Metro Animal Control
- CPU-South
- Ash Street Building
- 12th & Conwell
- CY Avenue
- Dallason Park
- Garden Creek Park
- Meadowlark Park
- Rails to Trails
- Casper Service Center
- Lifesteps-12th Street
- Long Park
- Round-a-bout
- Casper Transit
- Fairdale Park
- Huber Park
- Riverview Park
- Sage Park
- Verde James Park
- Aquatic Center
- Ice Arena
- Nancy English Park
- Recreation Center
- Senior Center
- Marion Kreiner
- Amoco Park
- Alta Vista Park
- NIC
- Paradise Valley Pool
- Patterson-Zonta Park
I would recommend that the city talk to people with expertise in native plants and range management. Some of the things mentioned (like spraying) aren’t good for us or the environment anyway. There may be ways to cut down on maintenance while still keeping the parks in good shape and important natural areas for the community. Talk to the experts at the Natrona County Conservation District. Another resource is your local Audubon Chapter (Murie Audubon). Our Cheyenne Parks let the grass grow in some areas – it is beautiful and healthy for the land and wildlife too.
Does anybody do any research before they draft an article pulling at your heart strings that parks will not be taken care because of property tax reduction or base their related comments on facts?
The City of Casper has had $20 mil more in governmental revenues than expenditures in 2023 and 2024 including supplemental state funds of $4.6 mil in 2023 and $7.2 in 2024. 2025 numbers are not available yet. In 2022 the City received a windfall whereby their public safety pension obligation was reduced by $75 mil. Casper is financially healthy.
While governments have seen an increase in costs due to inflation the last several years, they have also reaped the benefit of increased property taxes at the same time. Some governments have been smart and managed costs, increased reserves, some continue to spend, spend, spend. There are Cities/Counties in the State feeling the pinch because they have not seen the increase in property taxes. But Casper is not in that pinch, it has the reserves to soft land the 25% property tax reduction.
All from their annually published financial statements. They probably need more analysis than my short note, but good information none the less.
Counties and cities have enjoyed windfall revenues since 2019 when property taxes began to skyrocket. Some counties and cities bought cars for the electeds and their employees. Some counties and cities socked the huge proceeds away against the inevitability of much needed property tax relief. This report should have included a paragraph on Natrona County’s and City of Casper’s spending – and saving – over the last 5-7 years. 120 acres of parks? Where is the maintenance reserve?
I serve a Special District. We knew this day was coming and saved every dollar we could. Our operations will not be impacted due to the projected 13% reduced revenues.
My heart does not bleed for the entities that didn’t see this coming and prepare.
Meanwhile, I’m loving my lower property tax bill.
Being a retired, 31 year veteran of the Casper Parks Department, it’s hard to watch the areas that we were entrusted to care for in such terrible condition as they are currently. Most of the people that I worked with truly believed in making these facilities better than we found them when we started. And I think we achieved that goal despite the cyclical nature of Wyoming’s economy.
I’ve known and worked with Zulima Lopez for a long time. I’m confident that she’s doing the very best that she can with the hand that she’s been dealt thanks to the Wyoming legislature led by the “freedom caucus”. A short term reduction in property taxes, in return for a few votes in the next election, will end up costing the citizens of Casper, and many other locations throughout Wyoming, for many years to come. Unfortunately, the deterioration we’re observing to our parks and infastructure right now will only get worse before it gets better thanks to the short sighted, selfishness of some of our lawmakers.
If tou can’t afford to own a house, then you simply shouldn’t own a house. What next? Demand Home Depot give away free siding and lawn mowers in Wyoming just because we said so? Owning a home is not a right. It is a privilege. It’s hard work and not cheap. This is ridiculous, especially in a state with already low property taxes.