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Proposed Initiative Proposition Number One: Homeowner's Property Tax Exemption

Statewide — all of Wyoming

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

  • Citizen initiative, "People's Initiative to Limit Property Tax in Wyoming through a Homeowner's Property Exemption." Secretary of State Chuck Gray certified it on January 2, 2025 after verifying 30,251 valid signatures, and described it as the first initiative on a Wyoming ballot in 30 years. Wyoming Public Media reports it was spearheaded by Brent Bien, Rich Weber and Cheryl Aguiar under the name BCR Initiatives and is endorsed by the Wyoming Republican Party; a coalition called Vote No on Prop 1 (including the Wyoming Education Association, Wyoming Hospital Association, Wyoming Association of Community College Trustees, Wyoming Taxpayers Association and Wyoming Realtors) opposes it.[1][2]

The question on the ballot

Shall a law be enacted: Establishing a property tax exemption for qualified homeowners’ primary residence in the amount of fifty percent (50%) of the assessed value of the dwelling; AND Defining “homeowner” and “primary residence”; providing that no more than one exemption shall apply to a single property or be claimed by a single owner per year; requiring a homeowner to be a resident of Wyoming for at least one year and to have occupied the primary residence for at least six months of the previous tax year to qualify; requiring an initial sworn claim to be filed with the county assessor by the fourth Monday in May; providing for continuing the exemption in subsequent years through annually confirming eligibility; providing a penalty for false claims; clarifying that the exemption applies to the residential structure; and specifying applicability? Estimated Fiscal Impact: Anticipated Revenue / (decrease) Fiscal Year 2028 ($92,614,266) Fiscal Year 2029 ($95,855,766) The above estimate is based on residential property assessed value and property tax data from the Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) system provided by the Department of Revenue in 2023. The future fiscal impact estimates are derived by using the January 2023 Consensus Revenue Estimating Group (CREG) report, estimating annual growth of 3.5% for properties in the future years. This is an estimate of fiscal impact to the State of Wyoming only and does not include an estimate of any impact upon political subdivisions. The proposition references a beginning in 2025, but if passed in 2026 the earliest applicable tax year would be 2027, with impact to the state beginning in 2028. Fiscal impact will apply to each year so long as the exemption is in place. Future impacts depend on unpredictable economic conditions.[4]

The initiative would exempt from property taxation 50 percent of the assessed value of a qualifying homeowner's primary residence, one exemption per property and per owner per year. To qualify, the owner must have lived in Wyoming at least one year and in the residence at least six months of the prior tax year, file a sworn claim with the county assessor by the fourth Monday in May, and confirm eligibility annually; false claims are punishable under W.S. 6-5-303. Fiscal impact per the Secretary of State's ballot language: an anticipated state revenue decrease of $92,614,266 in fiscal year 2028 and $95,855,766 in fiscal year 2029, which the estimate says covers the State only and not political subdivisions. Wyoming Public Media reports a Department of Revenue analysis putting the decrease at up to $124.7 million annually, and that there is no income or age limit, the exemption applies to residential structures but not land, and the Legislature already provides a 25 percent exemption on the first $1 million of a home's value that a homeowner would have to choose between.[4][2]

A YES vote means

Enacts a law exempting 50 percent of the assessed value of a qualified homeowner's primary residence from property taxation, on the terms in the ballot language ("FOR").

A NO vote means

Does not enact the exemption; existing property tax law and exemptions stay as they are ("AGAINST").

The law today

Per the Wyoming Department of Revenue's Property Tax Division: the existing Homeowner's Exemption removes 25% of the taxable value of an owner-occupied single-family residence and its associated improved land, applying to the first $1 million of fair market value, and requires the owner to reside on the property at least eight months of the year for tax year 2027. A separate Long-term Homeowner's Exemption removes 50% of the fair market value, up to the first $3 million, for homeowners 65 or older (or with a spouse 65 or older) who have paid Wyoming residential property taxes for at least 25 years. Homeowners apply online through a Residential Owner-Occupied Affidavit reviewed by the county assessor. The initiative would instead exempt 50% of the assessed value of the dwelling.[6][4]

Official fiscal estimate

The Secretary of State's ballot language states an estimated decrease in state revenue of $92,614,266 in fiscal year 2028 and $95,855,766 in fiscal year 2029, based on Department of Revenue residential assessed-value data and a 3.5% annual growth assumption. The estimate covers the State only and does not include any impact on political subdivisions (counties, cities, school and special districts); if passed in 2026 the earliest applicable tax year would be 2027, with state impact beginning in 2028. Wyoming Public Media separately reports that the change would cost the state between $92.6 million and $124.7 million annually, without naming the source of the upper figure.[4][2]

Arguments made for

  • Bryan Miller, chairman of the Wyoming Republican Party, said when the party announced its support: "Wyoming homeowners deserve meaningful, durable property-tax relief, and our party is prepared to help communicate the case for this initiative to voters across the state."[2]
  • Brent Bien, who led the initiative campaign, told Cowboy State Daily in September 2023: "If there's one thing this whole campaign is about is freedom."[5]

Arguments made against

  • The Vote No on Prop 1 Committee's website states: "Prop 1 proposes a 50% cut in property taxes but has no plan for how to replace over $125 million in lost funding in year one."[3]
  • Jerimiah Rieman, executive director of the Wyoming County Commissioners Association, said: "The strain that is going to be most painful is around those special districts that rely almost exclusively on property taxes to provide for fire, ambulance, hospital," per Wyoming Public Media.[2]

On record in support

  • BCR Initiatives, the initiative's sponsor (Brent Bien, Rich Weber and Cheryl Aguiar); the Secretary of State's initiative page lists Brent Bien as committee member[2][7]
  • Wyoming Republican Party, which announced it will back the initiative (Chairman Bryan Miller)[2]
  • Becky Cloetta, a Teton County homeowner who championed the citizen petition[2]

On record in opposition

  • Vote No on Prop 1, the coalition committee opposing the measure[3][2]
  • Wyoming Education Association (president Kim Amen)[2]
  • Wyoming Hospital Association[2]
  • Wyoming Association of Community College Trustees[2]
  • Wyoming Taxpayers Association[2]
  • Wyoming Realtors, which voted in September 2026 to join the coalition[2]

Campaign money

As reported by Wyoming Public Media on September 23, 2026: organizers of the opposing Vote No on Prop 1 group said it had nearly $1 million in the bank and had spent about 20% so far; campaign finance filings show the National Education Association contributed $405,000 to it. Filings show BCR Initiatives, the sponsor, had raised and spent less than $5,000. Figures are as of that report and have likely changed.[2]

Research notes & limits

Ballot language and fiscal estimate are verbatim from the Wyoming Secretary of State's 2026 Statewide Ballot Propositions document; the Laramie County sample ballot shows the same text and no other statewide proposition or constitutional amendment, and the Secretary of State's document lists only this one. Wyoming has no official argument pamphlet. For-side evidence is thinner than against-side: the second 'for' entry is a short 2023 sponsor quotation (no 2026 sponsor campaign statement or website was located); a news paraphrase of the sponsors' position was removed. News (Wyoming Public Media) reports an annual cost of up to $124.7 million without naming its source; it differs from the Secretary of State's State-only estimate. Added October 19, 2026: current law is from the Department of Revenue's Property Tax Division page; supporters, opponents and campaign finance rely on the Wyoming Public Media/KHOL report of September 23, 2026 and the opposing campaign's website. The Wyoming campaign-finance filings themselves could not be queried, so the totals are as reported by news. No full-text link is provided: the Secretary of State's published certificate and certification letter are scanned images without extractable text, and no official page with the full initiative text was found. The existing 2 for / 2 against arguments were left unchanged.

Sources · 7

Researched 2026-10-19. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.Secretary of State Certifies Initiative to Provide Property Tax Limits in Wyoming for 2026 General Election Ballot · Wyoming Secretary of State · 2025-01-03 Official record
  2. 2.Teachers, hospital leaders launch $1M campaign to fight property tax ballot measure · Wyoming Public Media / KHOL / WyoFile · 2026-09-23 News report
  3. 3.Vote NO on Prop 1 · Vote No on Prop 1 Committee Candidate's own words
  4. 4.2026 General Election Statewide Ballot Propositions · Wyoming Secretary of State Official record
  5. 5.Effort On To Slash Property Tax Assessments By 50% In Wyoming · Cowboy State Daily · 2023-09-01 News report
  6. 6.Wyoming Homeowner and Long Term Homeowner Claim · Wyoming Department of Revenue, Property Tax Division Official record
  7. 7.Initiative and Referendum Information · Wyoming Secretary of State Official record