General Elections: Basin Mayor

Carl Olson

Bio: I was born in Cheyenne Wyoming but I have lived my whole life in Basin. I went to Basin School and graduated in 1976. I did not attend college but went right straight to work for Big Horn Co-op tire shop in Greybull.  I married my high school sweetheart Carmen in 1977 and together we raised three children, all of them attended school and graduated from Basin.

I have worked for Big Horn Co-op, in the oil field with my father-in-law and Dresser MI.   and eventually went to work for Big Horn Redi-mix in 1979, where I am currently employed as construction superintendent.

I have been involved with the Town in many ways which includes - chair on the Master plan committee in 2012, town council member for two terms, the Planning & Zoning board, and the County Solid Waste board for fifteen years.  I feel that I have a solid idea of how city and county government operates.

What do you believe are the top issues facing your town?

I believe our town is facing an employee workforce problem. The loss of longtime employees has left the town without the experience and knowledge the town needs to run and train new employees. It takes time and money to train and license new employees which increase labor costs.

Our town has aging infrastructure that needs addressed. The town has been working on the sewer and lagoon for a while but still needs more work.  Many upgrades have been made and must continue to see the full benefits.

With changes in property taxes creating tighter municipal budgets, what would your priorities be with potentially limited funding? 

Money has always been in the forefront of all the decisions no matter what the project is such as equipment, infrastructure, wages, etc.  Our town will need to trim extras that may not be necessary at any given time. Securing more grant money that may be available for the town’s needs for the betterment of Basin.  The town purchases our power and water from other agencies so some of the prices are raised through them but we can also work on our end to keep from going too far.  

What is your stance on government transparency, including public notices, open meetings, public records, and communication with the press?

I believe our town government is for the people. We want the community to be involved whether it is coming to town council meetings that are open to the public and have public comment times, calling the town office to be put on the agenda for the meeting or call the mayor/council person(s) with your concerns.  The minutes are in the local newspaper, the town has their own website where things are updated.  For example, the town has implemented a budget billing plan for all residents who qualify by contacting the town office. My goal would be have 1-2 evenings a month set aside for residents to call the Mayor’s phone with concerns they would like to have addressed.

I am not a business owner; I am a Basin town resident. I have worked all my life with goals to raise my family, love my wife and retire with what we need and with God’s help I am about there! Now I wish to help guide our town in a direction of growth with no promise of greatness. The town needs all the current businesses and I would like to see more viable stores come to Basin.  That would open up job opportunities. We need more affordable housing not just low income housing. This would help people who work here but live elsewhere due to the housing shortage. Basin is the business I would like to benefit with my knowledge together with the town council and residents.

Charles “Chuck” E. Hopkin

Bio 

I was born in the old nursing home in Greybull. I have resided in Basin, Wyo., most of my life. I graduated from Basin High School. He raised two daughters while working within the telephone company. I was with Mountain Bell for 23 years, starting at age 19. I worked for TCT West for 10 years when they bought out Mountain Bell. Later on, I worked an additional 10 years with RT Communications. I retired at the age of 62, but I have not slowed down.

I have been on many boards, including the Big Horn District #4 school board, Basin Recreation, C.A.R.E.S. board, Midway Golf Course, and the Basin Town Council. I volunteer at the Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site in Hyattville. I also enjoy talking with the pubic, listening to their concerns, and helping in every way possible.

What do you believe are the top issues facing your town?

The top issues facing our town currently include staying within its annual budget and working towards finding additional sources of revenue for the town. There are grants available for smaller towns looking to grow. Secondly, the town needs to refurbish the present sewer lagoon. This is something the town has been working towards for 10 years now, and it needs to get done. Finally, I would like to fill the empty buildings along Main Street with local businesses.

With changes in property taxes creating tighter municipal budgets, what would your priorities be with potentially limited funding?

The town’s priority is to find other funding for the special projects so they don’t come out of local taxpayers’ pockets. The town should be applying for grants, tightening its own budget, and looking for ways to bring in money.

What is your stance on government transparency, including public notices, open meetings, public records, and communication with the press?

I believe in government transparency and will utilize all of these for the public. Communication is key in every business, and we need to keep it available to everyone. There is a way to send out mass texts and phone calls to alert everyone in the town about announcements that concern them. We need to check into those.

I want the community to thrive as a whole and keep costs as low as possible. We, as a council and mayor, need to work together to achieve our overall goals.