When I decided to run for Natrona County Commissioner, I thought I had a good understanding of the issues facing our county. My wife and I have lived in Natrona County for the past 13 years. We have raised our daughters here, built a couple of businesses here, and chosen to make this our home for the long-term. Professionally, I’ve spent my career helping communities and local governments work through complex challenges involving land use, infrastructure, water resources, and long-term planning. I’ve also served the past three years on the Natrona County Planning & Zoning Commission, where I’ve seen firsthand the opportunities and challenges involved in county decision-making.
The campaign hasn’t changed what I believe about most of these issues. What’s changed is how I approach them.
Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to sit down with people responsible for some of the county’s biggest challenges, which have included leaders at Wyoming Medical Center and members of the Sheriff’s Office to business owners, county employees, and residents from across Natrona County. What surprised me was how often the same issue looked completely different depending on who was sitting across the table.
Healthcare is the clearest example.
Conversations about healthcare often began with Wyoming Medical Center, insurance, or access to care, but they rarely stayed there. Hospital leadership described the challenges of recruiting physicians. Business owners talked about the rising cost of providing health insurance for employees. Members of the Sheriff’s Office explained how behavioral health increasingly affects public safety, while many families were simply trying to find affordable care and a primary care provider. Each conversation highlighted a different part of the same system.
The recent statewide healthcare survey funded by the Natrona Collective Health Trust reinforced a lot of this. Affordability wasn’t just a healthcare issue. It showed up as a workforce issue, a household budget issue, and a factor in where people choose to live and work. That experience reminded me that how we define a problem shapes the solutions we’re willing to consider. Looking at an issue from several angles doesn’t necessarily make it easier to solve. It usually leads to better decisions, though.
A similar theme showed up when conversations turned to the county’s future. Many of the decisions county government makes don’t produce immediate results. Infrastructure investments, land use decisions, transportation planning, and coordination between public agencies and the private sector often take years to show their value. By the time a new business opens its doors, or a major investment is announced, most of the important work has already happened.
That long view feels especially important right now. As Natrona County’s fiscal landscape continues to evolve, conversations about county finances are increasingly conversations about the county’s future. Preparing for that future means more than balancing next year’s budget. It means thinking about what we want the county ready for ten or twenty years out. Planning for infrastructure, identifying where growth makes sense, coordinating with partners, and maintaining predictable processes may not be especially visible work, but it determines whether the county is ready when opportunities arrive.
Fortunately, Natrona County starts from a position of strength. We have an experienced workforce, affordable land, abundant energy resources, and the infrastructure to support future growth. The opportunity before us is to make thoughtful decisions that strengthen those advantages over time.
One final observation has stayed with me throughout this campaign.
I expected to spend a lot of time talking about our differences. Instead, I noticed how much people had in common. Regardless of their background or political views, most wanted many of the same things: to have the ability to provide for their family, the freedom to make their own choices, a safe community, and the chance to build a better future for their children and grandchildren.
Where people differed, of course, was usually in the approach that would get us there. That realization changed the way I discussed issues with people. Rather than focusing on where people disagreed, I became more interested in understanding why they saw an issue differently. Those discussions were almost always more thoughtful, and they usually taught me something I hadn’t considered.
I’m running for the same reasons I was when this campaign began. What has changed is my appreciation for how much a thoughtful local government depends on bringing different perspectives together. The conversations I’ve had over the past several months have reinforced that most people want many of the same things for Natrona County. My job, if elected, will be to approach every decision with the curiosity to understand those perspectives, the discipline to do the homework, and the judgment to weigh the tradeoffs carefully.
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