Fairgrounds, Airports, Parks, Pleasure

Wyo. Stat. Ann. tit. 18, ch. 9

in effect

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 18-9-101 Authority of board of commissioners to acquire property, appoint board of trustees; purposes and uses; authority to levy taxes, issue bonds or incur indebtedness; county fair fund.

(a) Each board of county commissioners may: (i) Acquire lands and other property for fairgrounds, airports, parks and pleasure grounds; (ii) Construct, maintain and operate a public auditorium, athletic fields, civic center or other community building, which may be designated as a memorial to the war veterans of the United States of America; (iii) Appoint a board of trustees to control, maintain and manage the fairgrounds, airports, parks and pleasure grounds and to conduct agricultural, industrial and other fairs and exhibitions; (iv) Levy taxes, issue bonds or incur indebtedness as then authorized by law for other county purposes. The taxes shall be levied and collected as are other county taxes and the taxes collected, together with other monies received shall be expended as authorized under this section. Monies in the fund shall be expended only by the board of trustees; (v) Dissolve any board of trustees appointed under this subsection in accordance with W.S. 18-3-525; (vi) Perform such other acts necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 18-9-102 Board of trustees.

(a) The board of trustees provided by W.S. 18-9-101(a)(iii) shall be composed of not less than five (5) nor more than nine (9) competent citizens of the county appointed by the board of county commissioners. Trustees shall serve five (5) year terms which shall be staggered. The board of county commissioners shall annually appoint a successor to the trustee whose term expires. The term of each succeeding trustee shall commence on the first Monday in January next following the date of his appointment. A trustee may be appointed for successive terms. (b) As soon as the original board has been appointed they shall organize by electing a chairman, secretary and treasurer of the board. As soon as they organize they shall file without fee a certificate showing their organization with the county clerk and the secretary of state. Upon filing the certificate the board of trustees is a body corporate, empowered to sue and be sued under the name of "Board of Trustees of .... County". (c) No member of the board of trustees shall be personally liable for any action or procedure of the board. The board has perpetual existence and it is not necessary to file any certificate other than that filed upon the original organization. (d) Each year when a new member of the board is appointed the trustees shall meet and again organize by electing a chairman, secretary and treasurer. Each member of the board shall serve without compensation and the board treasurer shall give bond in such amount and such securities as approved by the county commissioners conditioned upon the faithful performance of his duties and the accounting for all board monies. The board may pay the secretary such compensation as proper for secretarial, accounting and other services required of him apart from his duties as a member of the board. (e) Repealed by Laws 1991, ch. 201, § 2. (f) If a county is without title to sufficient land it may acquire such lands as deemed necessary by gift, purchase or condemnation under the right of eminent domain. (g) Repealed by Laws 1991, ch. 201, § 2. (h) The county commissioners may remove any member of the board of trustees for cause without a public hearing unless the trustee requests that the action be taken during a public hearing. Vacancies on the board of trustees shall be filled by the county commissioners for the balance of the unexpired term created by the vacancy.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 18-9-103 Authority to establish sinking fund; sources of revenue.

Each board of county commissioners may establish a sinking fund of a certain amount to be raised within a certain number of years for erecting or constructing improvements, equipping improvements already erected on a county fairgrounds or for purchasing land for a county fair. The fund is to be created and added to from taxation or from unexpended monies in the county.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 18-9-104 Authority to establish county fair endowment fund; sources of revenue.

(a) Each board of county commissioners may establish a county fair endowment fund. (b) The county fair endowment fund may accept grants, gifts, transfers, bequests and donations including those that are limited in their purposes by the grantor. (c) The county treasurer shall invest funds received under this section as permitted by law and the interest accruing from the investment shall be retained in the fund. (d) Endowment funds may be expended by the board of county commissioners or, if authorized by the board of county commissioners, the county fairgrounds board of trustees for purposes of erecting or constructing improvements, equipping improvements already erected on a county fairgrounds, purchasing land for county fairgrounds or operating county fairs.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 18-9-201 Recreational facilities and systems of public recreation; authority to establish and maintain; joint action by political subdivision; tax levies; removal.

(a) The governing body of any city, town, county or school district either independently or jointly through any combination thereof, may establish a system of public recreation as provided by W.S. 18-9-101(a)(i) through (iii) and, if it does so, shall appoint a board of trustees to control, maintain and supervise the properties. In administering properties under this section, the board may: (i) Adopt reasonable rules and regulations for the governance and the preservation of property within the area. All rules and regulations adopted shall be promulgated as provided by the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act and shall be available for inspection in the office of the board of county commissioners. Any person violating any rule or regulation adopted under this paragraph is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00), imprisonment for not more than thirty (30) days, or both; (ii) Acquire, equip and maintain land, buildings or other recreational facilities; (iii) Employ trained supervisors and directors of recreation; (iv) Accept gifts, bequests and federal aids-in-grant for the benefit of the recreational service; (v) Allocate money and expend funds allocated for recreational purposes. (b) The board of county commissioners may levy and expend funds for recreational purposes. Any levy imposed by a school district for recreational facilities and systems of public recreation shall not exceed one (1) mill on the assessed valuation of a school district. A levy for recreational facilities and systems of public recreation imposed by a school district is in addition to the tax limitations stated in W.S. 21-13-102. (c) The governing body which appointed the member of the board of trustees may remove that member of the board of trustees for cause without a public hearing unless the trustee requests that the action be taken during a public hearing. Vacancies on the board of trustees shall be filled by the governing body for the balance of the unexpired term created by the vacancy.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 18-9-202 Recreation board of trustees.

(a) The board of trustees appointed under W.S. 18-9-201(a) shall be comprised of not fewer than five (5) members appointed in accordance with and serving staggered terms in the same manner as specified under W.S. 18-9-102(a). If the public recreation system is established jointly, the membership shall be not fewer than five (5) members appointed in accordance with the joint agreement and each participating governing body shall have at least one (1) member on the board. Any board appointed under this article is a body corporate. Liability of board members shall be governed by W.S. 1-23-107. (b) The recreation board shall manage, operate and regulate the recreational systems and may take any steps necessary to insure the safe, economical and enjoyable operation of the system. (c) The recreation board may accept and use any gift, donation, bequest, devise or contribution of money or property. Any monies accruing from a tax levy or appropriation made by the governing bodies involved in the recreational system shall be credited to the board and may be expended by them for the maintenance, improvement, development, operation, management and conduct of the system, and the erection and repair of the physical properties under its control. All payments made shall be with the approval of the board and upon the signature of the treasurer. (d) The recreation board shall elect from among its members a president, secretary and a treasurer. The members of the board shall serve without compensation except the board may allow reasonable compensation to the secretary for secretarial or other services required of him. The treasurer shall give bond in such amount and with securities approved by the governing bodies involved, conditioned upon the faithful performance of his duties and the full accounting of monies received by him.

Source: WY Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title18.pdfFetched: 10/4/2026