The Mayor’s Minute from Mayor Patrick Collins – Oct. 16, 2026

Published on October 16, 2026

I have been talking a lot lately about our need to improve our indoor amenities that would give Cheyenne families places to go, especially in the cold winter months. Maury and Bonnie Brown spent a lifetime supporting Cheyenne nonprofits, especially the YMCA. With their passing, they have created a foundation that is focused on continuing their philanthropic efforts. They have announced plans to build a recreation center at the site of the former Outlaw Saloon. I met with members of the Maury and Bonnie Brown Foundation to talk about their plans and to see how the City can collaborate with the foundation to maximize our efforts to meet the recreational needs in our community. I learned that they are in the process of learning what the community needs and beginning the planning stage of the project. I am excited and humbled by the Brown family and their commitment to Cheyenne. Their efforts will help in our goal to keep young people and families from leaving Cheyenne and have a big impact on our quality of life.

Cheyenne has implemented all the recommendations made by the Affordable Housing Task Force and WCDA, except for creating a land trust. The trust would accept and use funding to partner with the private sector to build housing for people that would otherwise not be able to buy a home. Laramie and Sheridan recently created land trusts, and I met with the Laramie executive director to learn more about how they created it and how it’s and managed day to day. I am not sure that this is the right time for a land trust in Cheyenne, but I appreciate their taking time to educate us. I do know that we have a housing shortage, and it is especially challenging for people in the 80 to 100 percent AMI range who want to buy a house.

My friend Ed led the effort to get the Vernon Baker statue installed on O’Neil Avenue honoring one of Cheyenne’s own who was given the Medal of Honor for his service in World War II. Now, he’s working to create a memorial to be built at the Cheyenne National Cemetery. Ed’s career in the submarine force gave him a love of those who served our country, and he wants to make sure all branches of the military are honored at the cemetery. I love his energy and drive on all the projects he takes on.

During Monday’s meeting of the Governing Body, the contract to finalize the design for Johnson Pool was approved. I am so excited that the voters approved the pool on the 6th Penny sales tax election ballot in August. The plan is to finish the design this winter, construct the outdoor pool next summer, and do the ribbon cutting in the spring of 2028. Thank you, voters of Laramie County!

The Governing Body also approved the annexation, zone change, and final plat for the new home of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association. The PRCA will be housed in the new Hitching Post Business Park.

I was invited to speak with the folks at the Senior Center this week about the upcoming 5th Penny sales tax and other happenings in Cheyenne. Laramie County will vote on the reapproval of the 5th Penny on Nov. 3. I shared with the seniors how the City dedicates 80% of the 5th Penny to road maintenance. To stabilize our roads, we have a goal to do major maintenance on 10% of our 370 miles of roadways each year. That is expensive, making the 5th Penny essential in that effort. In addition to roads, 9% is dedicated to our public safety departments. It provides our police and fire departments with the funding they need for equipment, vehicles, and training. Again, essential. I like the process we follow with the 5th Penny sales tax. We have to show the voters how we have invested the funding over the past four years and then be specific on how we plan to invest the funding we are asking the voters to approve for the next four years. Hopefully that transparency will earn the voters’ approval.

I met with Balint from Related Digital for coffee and to update him on the affordable housing project they made possible with their incredible grant of $3.5 million. The developer has finished grading the site, installed the underground utilities, and will be going vertical in the new year. Getting 184 units built and providing an affordable place to live will be transformational for those families.

Thursday evening, Wyoming Downs held a neighborhood meeting to discuss their potential move from their location in the Cheyenne Plaza to a new site on Nationway. I encouraged the public meeting to make sure they had shared their plans with the neighbors before the Governing Body votes on their special use permit that would allow for the move. What I heard was the building design looked amazing and the new use for the building would be quieter and less of an impact on the neighborhood. I appreciate their effort to have a meeting and share the plans.

One thing I hate about getting older is the number of doctor appointments I go to. This week was the dermatologist, who had to do minor surgery due to a small basal cell carcinoma. It is the most common type of skin cancer. I share this to remind everyone of the importance of using sunscreen. I now use a moisturizer that has an SPF of 50. I wish I had been more diligent in my youth. We do the damage in our youth and pay the price later in life.