As property tax cuts move forward in Wyoming, schools, hospitals, public safety agencies and road departments have all warned of potential funding shortfalls. Now, a new white paper from the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council says Weed & Pest Districts could also be significantly affected — a concern that many residents may not even realize is tied to property tax revenue.

Wyoming’s Weed & Pest Districts didn’t appear out of thin air. They were created decades ago to deal with a very real problem: invasive plants that were chewing up rangeland, hurting agricultural production and spreading faster than individual landowners could manage on their own.

Weeds like cheatgrass and leafy spurge don’t stop at fence lines, and over time they’ve been tied to everything from reduced grazing capacity to higher wildfire risk and the loss of native wildlife habitat.

That reality is what led lawmakers to create locally governed districts with countywide authority — a way to coordinate control efforts across both public and private land. But those districts now find themselves caught in a familiar Wyoming dilemma: how to pay for public services while cutting property taxes. Property taxes are among the most politically sensitive issues in the state, and lawmakers are under intense pressure to deliver relief to homeowners. At the same time, nearly every entity that relies on those dollars is warning that cuts come with consequences.

The Weed & Pest Council’s white paper lands squarely in that debate, at a moment when many residents are increasingly skeptical of property tax–funded programs and are asking a simple question — are they getting what they pay for?

That skepticism shows up in several ways. Critics of the Weed & Pest District funding model say the white paper spends more time warning about funding losses than clearly demonstrating results. While few dispute that invasive species are a problem, some landowners argue that weed control efforts vary widely from county to county and that it’s difficult to gauge success without consistent performance measures or statewide reporting standards.

Others question whether residential property taxes are the right tool to fund Weed & Pest Districts at all. For homeowners in towns or subdivisions, the work of weed and pest crews can feel far removed from daily life, even though those residents help foot the bill. That disconnect has fueled broader questions about whether funding should be tied more directly to land use or agricultural benefit rather than spread across all residential taxpayers.

There’s also concern that the white paper paints proposed tax cuts as universally “devastating” without seriously engaging with alternatives.

Some lawmakers and taxpayer advocates argue that Weed & Pest Districts should at least explore other options — whether that’s greater cost-sharing with state or federal partners, user-based fees, or more targeted assessments — before framing tax relief as an existential threat.

Ultimately, critics warn that leaning too heavily on worst-case scenarios could backfire. As Wyoming reexamines how it funds government, public entities are being asked to do more than explain why their mission matters. They’re also being asked to show how they can adapt, improve transparency and deliver services as efficiently and fairly as possible.

Weed & Pest Districts, like schools, hospitals and other tax-supported services, may have to make that case more clearly than ever before. The video below is the story of Wyoming’s Weed and Pest Districts.

CASPER, Wyo. — While the fall and winter are often highlighted by snowfall and holiday gatherings, the season is also marked by the coughing, running noses and chills that come with the flu. This year, health experts warn of an especially virulent flu in Wyoming and beyond.

Data from the Wyoming Department of Health show that Wyoming saw 426 new influenza cases reported in just the final week of 2025, with well over 1,000 cases in total through flu season thus far in Wyoming. The report also states that, through Dec. 27, there had been 19 deaths in Wyoming caused by the flu this season. Nationally, the CDC reports more than 7.5 million cases of the flu and more than 3,100 deaths.

The uptick in flu cases is seen locally, too, the Natrona County Health Department told Oil City News on Thursday.

“While we don’t have exact numbers locally and only have the statewide data that’s reported, I can definitely say anecdotally that locally we’re seeing the same trends that we’re seeing statewide and nationally,” health department PIO Hailey Bloom said. “There is a surge in the rate across our community, the state and the country.”

Bloom said the surge in cases can partially be attributed to this year’s particular strain. The current flu is a mutated strain known as subclade K, originating from the common flu-causing virus influenza A and its variant H3N2. The strain is one of the more aggressive influenza variants, Bloom said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, subclade K is also more adept at resisting immune systems that have already built up protections against other strains of the virus. Bloom also said this season’s vaccine may not be ideally suited for combating the current strain.

“We use the flu season in the southern hemisphere as a predictor [when crafting the vaccine], and we did see that there were some strains not as effectively combated by this year’s flu shot,” she said. “Some years we get a really, really good match on the flu shot and all of the circulating strains are perfect matches to that shot, and some years it’s not as perfect.”

However, Bloom also said some of the increased cases can be attributed to a lower number of people getting vaccinated, which remains the best way to avoid the virus.

Bloom said 989 Natrona County residents have gotten a flu shot through the health department so far this season. That’s down from the 1,227 distributed in the 2024–25 flu season and the 1,478 the year before that.

The decline in vaccinations similarly mirrors a nationwide trend. In mid-December, the CDC reported that roughly 32.5 million flu shots had been given thus far, which is down about 1.9 million from the same point the prior flu season.

People still in need of a vaccine can get one at the Natrona County Health Department by calling ahead and setting up an appointment or by walking in, Bloom said. Vaccinations can also be administered at other locations like various local pharmacies.

Other than getting vaccinated, tips for avoiding the flu include regularly washing hands, avoiding people you know to be sick, exercising caution if feeling under the weather and dressing appropriately for the weather, Bloom said.

“This year’s flu is more aggressive, more intense and not as well covered by the vaccine, so it’s definitely nasty,” Bloom said. “All that said, the flu shot is still going to give significantly more protection than not getting one.”

Related

This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.

The former director of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) agency is joining Wyoming’s Game and Fish Department.

9-News reported that Jeff Davis was hired as the department’s deputy director in late December. That’s after Doug Brimeyer retired.

He starts the job in February.

Davis resigned from CPW last year instead of being fired as part of a settlement agreement. The settlement agreement Davis signed did not directly cite a reason for his termination.

Davis joined CPW as the state reintroduced wolves. His resignation came shortly after Washington state said it would not provide wolves to Colorado’s reintroduction program.

Before joining CPW in 2023, Davis had a long career in the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. While there, he focused on coordinating conservation initiatives involving interdisciplinary teams and salmon recovery.