Albany County Commissioner.  There are two seats available, each for a four-year term. There are no term limits. Salary is $20,000 per year plus benefits. Incumbents are Tim Chesnut (D) and Pat Gabriel (D), who are being challenged by Fred J. Ockers (R) and Dick Van Pelt (R).  The two who are elected will join Jerry Kennedy (R) who has two years left on his term.

 

Biographical Information:
 
Tim Chesnut (D): I was born in Laramie, and have lived here most of my life. My brother Mike and his wife, Cristina Chesnut, live south of Woods Landing. My parents, Jim and Bonnie Chesnut, have passed away since my last election, but both of their mothers are doing well, with Betty Chesnut in Syracuse, Utah, and Helen Franck in Laramie. My grandfathers, Avery Chesnut and Guy Franck have also passed away. I am a graduate of Laramie High School and have attended LCCC and UW. I worked at Café Ole for nine years, and recently left employment at the Laramie Daily Boomerang…
 
Pat Gabriel (D):  I was born and raised in Cheyenne, attended St. Mary's school K-12.  Attended LCCC and the University of Wyoming. I served on the Albany County School Board from 1981-1986.  I'm currently serving as an Albany County Commissioner, a seat I have held since 1991.  I have worked for Wyoming Public Radio since 1989 and serve on a number of boards as a representative of the Albany County Commission.  Married, wife is Elena, daughters Emily and Lily.
 
Fred J. Ockers (R):  For the past 46 years, my family has been a member of the Laramie business community. My wife Debi and I have been married for 33 years.  During that time, I have been active with various local and statewide civic organizations.  As chairman of the airport board, I oversaw nearly $15M of improvements including annexation, waterline extension, and a new sewer line. Currently, I am working with the airport and government agencies to bring new industry into Laramie.  While president of the Wyoming Automobile Dealers Association I oversaw the establishment of a group insurance trust and a dealer franchise law. 
 
Dick Van Pelt (R): Born to a ranching family.  Left ranch to attend UW in 1964-never left -- spent 31 years in banking in Laramie, served on numerous boards including Cathedral Home for 25 years, helped organize the LEDC and still serve as Director Emeritus, United Way, Chamber, Cowboy Joe and served on the State Economic Stabilization Board and Financial Institutions Board.  I live on my ranch with wife, Dianne, where I raise quarter horses and cattle. Have two grown children & a grandson.   Wyoming has been good to me and I feel it is time to give back.
 
If you could increase the budget for one county department without impacting the others, what would your choice be?  Explain
 
Tim Chesnut (D): The Road and Bridge Department would be my funding choice. Any jurisdiction is built around its infrastructure of transportation and utilities. It’s the county’s obligation to build and maintain the roads that link the cities, towns, and subdivisions for access --both public and private, and to safely maintain the link between them. Good roads are what a county needs to handle growth and keep the people moving.
 
Pat Gabriel (D):  Sheriff Pond will tell you the County is making progress but we still have a ways to go.  I would increase the Sheriff and Detention Center budget in order to keep our employees who often times leave for better paying jobs in the same field.  Sheriff Deputies and Detention officers are so critical to our County that an increase is justified as they put their lives on the line every day.
 
Fred J. Ockers (R):  I would subscribe to the principle of achieving a balanced budget and therefore the question suggests a difficult action.  Increasing any one department’s budget would ultimately have to impact the other County departments budgets.  I would bring a fair and equitable philosophy to the budgeting process with a priority to look for ways to operate the County more efficiently to potentially decrease spending.  This would better serve the taxpayers of Albany County. 

 

Dick Van Pelt (R):  This is a hypothetical question, before making a decision I would get the facts.  I have always tried to reward efficiency and would probably reward what I thought was the most efficient department, which was serving the greatest number of citizens with the least resources at the time. 

 
How can the county have some control over subdivision developments while considering private property rights?
 
Tim Chesnut (D): As a community, we need to decide what we want Albany County to look like in the future. Through the Comprehensive Plan to be developed this year, we hope to identify sensitive areas where we shouldn’t allow subdividing, such as the Aquifer Protection Zone, or critical habitat for endangered species. I also encourage public input into issues such as setting aside land for open spaces or parks, protecting wildlife migration corridors, and encouraging use of wind and solar energy.
 
Pat Gabriel (D):  Private property rights are essential to having a viable community.  The County does have regulatory authority for subdivisions under 35 acres which makes a landowner or developer seek approval from the County Commissioners.  It's been my experience during four terms in office that the County and landowners can work together to protect private property rights and also seek to ensure services such as law enforcement and fire protection are available.
 
Fred J. Ockers (R):  Growth is happening not only in the State but in Albany County as well.  The question is whether we have the resolve to guide this growth or just react to it on a case by case basis.  One solution is to involve residents, of both ideologies, in a visioning process in the development of Albany County’s Comprehensive Plan. Incorporate any changes that are developed into the Albany County Platting and Subdivision Regulations.
 

Dick Van Pelt (R): The county already exerts control; but  private property rights would be protected if it were easier to develop smaller tracts that emphasized more open space.  Clearly, adjacent property owners would benefit by the preservation of open spaces and enforcement of covenants & properly constructed wells and septic systems.   All this would lead to an increase in the county tax base which would provide us with a better budget with which to conduct the county business.