Elections - Burlington Town Council

Jackie Cenker

Q: Bio (Hometown, education, work history, party, affiliations, how long have you lived in Wyoming?)

A: Originally from Southern California, I raised three children in the California desert town of Hemet. I attended local colleges, worked in banking, then joined GoldPoint Systems (banking and finance software) in Provo, Utah—working remotely and traveling nationwide to meet clients. I later served as a project manager for Southern California Edison on the California coast. I retired in 2017, lived in Columbia, Maryland, and have been a Wyoming resident since January 2025. We decided on Wyoming due to low population, taxes, low crime, 2^nd amendment friendly, and beautiful scenery. This is our final destination, and we enjoy the small-town atmosphere. Burington is a very welcoming and friendly place, and we absolutely love it here. I am a registered Republican.

Q: What do you believe are the top issues facing your town?

A: The top issues I see are:

• Growing town revenue without overburdening residents, with potential grants and new income that do not raise property taxes

• Reviewing, updating, and fairly enforcing town ordinances

• Deciding together, as a community, whether and how the town should grow by listening to residents before expanding

• Getting more residents involved in Town Council meetings

• Sharing Council decisions quickly and clearly with the public

• Making it simple for residents to submit requests and get clear yes/no answers (with downloadable forms and standard response formats)

How I would suggest increased participation

Post agendas and materials early and widely—website, Facebook, email list, Town Hall, Post Office, and local bulletin boards

Offer hybrid/livestream options with a clear remote public-comment process 

Quickly share plain-language summaries after decisions of what happened and why, so residents see their input matters.

Short “how to participate” guide

Over time, track and report back on resident ideas that were adopted

Q: With Changes in Property taxes, the monies coming into the towns is making for tighter budgets, What would be your priorities with a potentially limited budget?

A: With tighter budgets my priorities would be:

• Reliable city water and sewage treatment—core services come first, I will not support new spending until essential services, and a solid reserve are secure

• Keeping sufficient money, the town has set aside for unexpected needs

• Earning safe returns on town funds through local banks insured by FDIC/Low Risk. As a former banker and project manager, this is an area that I am well versed in

• Carefully reviewing the 2027 budget line by line

• Seeking every available grant to stretch local dollars further

Q: What is your stance on government transparency including public notices, open meetings, public records and communication with the press? How do you hope to keep the public in the loop?

A: Town government must be open and easy to follow. Meetings should provide clear agenda time for public input. Public notices should be timely and available in multiple locations. A designated town spokesperson should give thoughtful, unbiased updates to the press. Keep residents informed before and after with posted agendas and minutes. I support Wyoming’s open-meetings and public-records laws and will follow them fully.

For State Candidates, see: https://lovellchronicle-wy.newsmemory.com/?special=BHC+Election+Edition