GREYBULL — Homeowners in Big Horn County recently received a notice in their property tax statement that they may be eligible for additional exemptions in 2026.
“Oh, boy…” “The phone has been ringing off the hook since everyone received their tax notices,” County Assessor Gina Anderson stated on Tuesday.
Property tax cuts for long-term homeowners aged 65 and up were first established in 2024 and are now in their second year of implementation for the 2026 tax season. This will be their final year in effect, unless lawmakers decide to renew or change the legislation.
“The Legislature could change everything,” Anderson stated.
Those who received long-term homeowner cuts last year and have not changed ownership or residency can simply re-up by completing an affidavit with the county assessor’s office. Surviving spouses of recipients from 2025 may also qualify.
New applicants must be a homeowner or have a spouse aged 65 or older, have paid Wyoming property tax for 25 years, and live on the property for at least eight months of the year. To apply, they should contact the county assessor’s office.
Anderson stated that the initial cuts had a significant impact on the county. For the 2025 tax season, the assessor’s office received approximately 600 applications.
In 2025, SF69 added a 25% property tax cut for single-family residences on the first $1 million fair market value of the home.
For the 2026 cuts, an additional requirement that the homeowner reside in the home for eight months of the year was added.
This reduction must be applied for annually and is available at ptd.wyo.gov/OWNEROCC. The 25% discount does not apply to homeowners who qualify for the long-term exemption.
Valuations for 2026 are still being completed, and the assessor’s office will not know how much cuts affect the county until the filing deadline. Earlier this year, the assessor’s office reported that the county’s 2025 valuation had dropped by $297,024,366 after exemptions. The local assessed value fell by $19 million from 2024 to 2025.
“When we began budget work this year, based on budget requests submitted, we were looking at needing to make $4 million in cuts,” county clerk Lori Smallwood wrote in an August memo.
County entities were initially asked to reduce their budget by 10% from what they had received in the 2024-25 season for this year. An immediate salary and hiring freeze was implemented.
Elections suffered the greatest percentage cuts, with a 59% reduction, emergency management down 55%, and local emergency planning down 30%.
Two Big Horn County libraries were closed following a 20% budget cut.
After cuts, $400,000 from the county general reserve fund was still required to balance the 2025-26 budget.
During their meetings, commissioners predicted that additional property tax cuts would have a continued impact on the operation of various county services in 2026.
Anderson reported that a taxpayer recently informed her that he qualified for the long-term homeowner cuts.
“He was hesitant to do it because he had read about how badly it was affecting the county, cemeteries, tax districts, and schools.” “He wasn’t going to do it, but he saved over $800 in taxes,” she explained. “I have heard that from a few taxpayers that will not sign up for it because they are not happy about it.”
The filing period for both exemptions begins October 1. The deadline for the 25% homeowner exemption is February 1, 2026. The application deadline for the long-term homeowner exemption is May 26, 2026.
