The Town of Wright is asking voters to approve a $12 million infrastructure project to develop housing for working families. This investment will build the infrastructure needed to construct 87 lots for single-family homes as well as multi-family units.

The Town of Wright currently owns 46.40 acres of land on either side of Sagebluff Drive, northeast of the intersection of Chad Road and Melicia Drive. The proposed project would install infrastructure including roadways, water service, sanitary sewers, storm drains, and power. The goal is to make the property ready for housing and the proceeds of the sale of the project would be re-invested in other infrastructure projects for the Town of Wright.

Here is a link to the executive summary of the project.

Why did the Town of Wright Request this project?

The Town of Wright requested this project be included on the November election ballot because of the ongoing housing shortage and the benefits the project will provide to the County's workforce and economy.

The Town of Wright is located near some of the largest coal mines in the Powder River Basin. Oil and gas reserves surround large portions of the Town. Over the years, the Town has seen more of these working people and their families relocate out of Wright and out of Campbell County due to the shortage of housing options available.

The Town has invited developers to invest in the land, but private sector investment has been limited to land that already has water, power, and sewer infrastructure. The land needs the infrastructure improvements described in the report to address the community's need for housing and make the project work for taxpayers.

Current Housing Market in the Town of Wright

For 20 years, Wright has suffered from a lack of housing options. Our community has difficulty finding and keeping workers because they cannot find a place to live. Sheriff's deputies cannot find places to live in town. New businesses like the two shopping centers recently built are struggling to find staff because there are very few housing options. As of July 2024, there are no rental units available.

For more information about the Housing Infrastructure project, please see the attached report. If you have questions, please contact 307-464-1666.

Additional Questions

• Why doesn't the Town of Wright fund this infrastructure through the money it receives from sales and property tax?

Answer: The Town of Wright only receives between $80,000.00 to $100,000.00 a year in Property Taxes this project would increase that amount significantly if a developer would build homes on the property. The Sales/Use Tax are used for general operations of the town. The additional 1% tax that is already in effect is used for streets, law enforcement, fire department, etc. The Town of Wright can meet the current operating expenses and maintain the streets with the sales and property tax but there is no excess in the budget for major projects such as this.

• What happens to the property if these improvements are not made? Can the town sell it? Is there another project that would be good for the property that does not require taxpayer dollars?

Answer: If improvements are not made on the property the Town would continue to hold on to the land until it is developed. The addition of the infrastructure would make it much more appealing to an investor/developer. The infrastructure is not cost-effective for a developer to buy it as it is right now. It cannot be used for an industrial park as it is right outside of our golf course and it would devalue the existing houses in that area.

• Why should residents who do not live in Wright fund this project?
  

Answer: The Town of Wright would not be building or selling houses we would just be putting in the infrastructure such as roads, water, sewer, electricity, and natural gas. It is the government's responsibility to look out for our citizens and ensure their safety and if they cannot live in Wright then they have to commute from other locations, which is costly and dangerous. A Community must remain viable to continue to thrive. A comparison of small older towns in Wyoming and their decline highlights this point., Jobs, housing and infrastructure must be balanced to remain healthy. A shortage in one area impacts all areas and can lead to population loss, i.e.., a dying town. In most situations, the investment sector recognizes the potential for profit and will invest in the development of housing. Wright, like other small, more remote areas in Wyoming, has been unable to attract big developers even though numerous attempts have been made over the past fifteen years. By making the land building ready, individuals and small businesses can afford to invest in Wright and our county. By making the land building-ready, individuals and small businesses can afford to invest in Wright.

• Why should the government be involved in housing?

One of the responsibilities of the government is to ensure the citizens' safety. People want to live in Wright to be close to their work. If no housing is available, they must commute from other communities, which is costly and dangerous.

A community must remain viable. A comparison of older small towns in Wyoming and their decline highlight this point. Jobs, housing, and infrastructure must be balanced to remain healthy. A shortage in one area impacts all areas and can lead to population loss, ie., a dying town.

In most situations, the investment sector recognizes the profit potential and will invest in developing housing. Wright, like other small, more remote areas in Wyoming, has been unable to attract big developers even though numerous attempts have been made over the past fifteen years. By making the land building-ready, individuals and small businesses can afford to invest in Wright.

• What is the financial return on investment for taxpayers? I.e. how much does the project increase the value of the property to developers? When will developers build? How long before the houses are ready? How much money will be returned to the Town of Wright?

Answer: The infrastructure that the town would be putting in would make it more attractive for a developer to invest Wright and would make it cost-effective for them to build homes, and townhouses either to rent or buy. Adding houses and apartments to the county increases the supply, which can help lower the costs of renting and ownership of properties in the County. This project would increase property evaluations, the property taxes would increase for the town which the town could use to put back into either existing infrastructure or to expand on new infrastructure along with the increase in sales tax that they would spend at our local businesses, the monies from the sale of the property would be used to generate future development. It would also help with sidewalks, streets, parks, buildings etc. The Town would not recoup all the money spent as some of the collected tax would be used for paved streets which are owned by the town along with any parks that are part of the plan. If this tax were to pass it would be paid off in less than a yr depending on the amount of tourism, how much sales tax is collected and how much people spend in that year.