Kudos to Ranch Rodeo and commissioners

Thumbs up to the Basin Ranch Rodeo Committee for working to bring back the Ranch Rodeo to Basin for a consecutive year.

The rodeo was held last August with another group organizing the event, and due to differences with a local club, the event was nearly moved to Greybull. I appreciate the organizers working to find a solution and bring the rodeo back to Basin where it will benefit our residents and our community. The rodeo benefits the community in two major ways. It provides fun, family entertainment and raises funds to help a local resident. Last year the rodeo helped two Greybull residents with eye problems. This year, funds are going to Josh Corson to assist with medical expenses.

Corson’s mother, Connie Starr, said Josh is doing much better since moving from the Utah hospital to the Wyoming Retirement Center where he continues to recover from his serious brain injury sustained when he was struck by a car in March.

The rodeo also helps the community because it will bring in cowboys from around the area for two days, which will help lift the economy a little, and in these tough times, every little bit helps.

This week I also give a thumbs down — to the Manderson Town Council. We appreciate that Manderson is a small community and a many things are probably done a bit informally. But the new council members, and the mayor pro tem should have been sworn in immediately at the start of the Monday’s council meeting, after action by the current council.

Waiting until the end of the meeting was wrong.

We realize public service is a thankless and time consuming job and I appreciate those individuals who have volunteered for the service. However, with any job, volunteer or vocation, it takes work and I encourage the council members to educate themselves on the proper procedures of running a meeting, adopting ordinances, raising rates, appointing new members and more. There is much help available from surrounding clerks and council members. There is also help available from the Wyoming Association of Municipalities.

You’ve been elected or appointed to serve the residents of Manderson and I hope you will work to serve to the best of your ability. The residents deserve that and the community deserves it and needs it.

Finally, thumbs up to the Big Horn County commissioners. They had a daunting task ahead faced with declining valuation figures and declining revenues from the state. I sat through several of the work sessions with the commissioners. Making cuts to budgets was not an easy task and not something any of the commissioners enjoyed.

They did have to dip into cash reserves as a way of not cutting budgets even further. But they were able to absorb the 2.87 percent increase in the Wyoming Retirement System, to the tune of $64,000. They did not have to cut positions, although the county clerk has been asked to leave her staff at the current level, which means not replacing an employee.

Wages were frozen but the commissioners continue to look at health benefits to provide the best package at the best price for employees.

The commissioners have spent wisely during the plush times, like last year when the valuation increased considerably, and that helped with this budget process.

I’m sure the employees are disappointed not to receive a raise this year, but with Big Horn County still having the fourth highest unemployment rate, it is nice to be employed.