Community editorial board: Mending fences, post-nullification

Monday, February 09, 2015

The Albany County Commission voted this week to nullify city ordinances affecting county residents living within a half-mile radius of the city of Laramie.

The move, commissioners and advocates explained, guarantees constituents have a say in their government. County residents cant vote for city councilors, so why should they be bound by ordinances in which they have no electoral say?

County Commissioner Heber Richardson, who introduced the nullification motion, wrote in a letter to the editor the measure will help give county commissioners and their constituents outside Laramie equal footing with city residents.

None of us on this board live in the half-mile zone affected by nullification, but we can understand the frustration those within the half-mile radius feel at being affected by decisions made by the city decision they did not have a vote in.

We also understand the citys point of view. Specifically, allowing the use of fireworks on private property within the half-mile zone which nullification does increases the odds of a fire starting in the county, then spreading to property within the city.

While both sides have valid concerns, we think things should have never gotten to this point. The apparent frustration between county residents, their elected officials and city government shows trust has bottomed out among these groups.

County residents are clearly skeptical of the city; this isnt exactly surprising. From our observations, talk of nullification and limiting the citys influence outside of city limits began in earnest years ago after at least one councilor talked about extending the citys sphere of influence five-10 miles outside city limits.

Its important to keep in mind that, by our accounts, this talk was never publicly supported by a majority of city councilors. Add to that the fact this discussion occurred about two election cycles back and was promptly ended by the State Legislatures passage of House Bill 85 in 2013 and it gets more difficult to think of city government as ever having a snowballs chance of successfully dictating what folks in the county can and cannot do.

Given the groundswell of support nullification received, however, we are clearly in the minority on this. So, the city needs to build trust with those outside the city.

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Community editorial board: Mending fences, post-nullification