GUERNSEY – Former Town of Guernsey clerk/treasurer, Kate Farmer is back home in Guernsey after a recent stint as treasurer for the City of Chattanooga, Tenn. 

She returns to a full plate of items and activities that she is working on. One of the immediate items she is working on is the budget for the coming year.

“The town is working to cut the budget to account for the reduction in state and local sales tax,” Farmer said. “We rely heavily on these taxes that are funded by visitors from other states that spend money in Wyoming and Platte County. The Wyoming Association of Municipalities provides a budget prep handbook that helps cities forecast revenues and they are showing a large downturn in the economy. This is the most important working document for the town. It provides us a road map of where we are headed for the next year and a good insight into the future revenues. The department heads have done a great job prioritizing projects and reducing expenses for the upcoming fiscal year.”

Four projects will be evolving over the next year or so, according to Farmer. 

“We will be installing the Camp Guernsey Connector, a walking path from South Colorado Street out to Portegues Phillips Road at Camp Guernsey. This project will address the safety of our residents and soldiers training at Camp Guernsey. We expect the project to be completed by the end of this summer. The Rail Spur extension at the industrial park is in phase two. 

“We are working with the Wyoming Business Council on this project and it is in the serviceability review phase. This project is expected to extend into 2021. The town has hired Dahlgren Consulting to start the water tank and an independent water line project. This project is being funded by the Specific Purpose Tax that was passed in 2018 and a matching grant from the Wyoming Water Development Commission. The project will be a multiyear project and will prepare the town for future water regulations. We are working on securing funding for the final landfill cap and closure. This project will also be a multiyear project that we will be working on with Wyoming Department of Environment Quality.”  

Guernsey Mayor Nick Paustian swore Farmer in at the June 16 Guernsey Council meeting. Paustian mentioned that he is thrilled to have Farmer back due to her experience and her dedication. He also made it clear in a recent council meeting that it was his choice for her appointment.

“I think Kate is a very intelligent and credible person,” said Councilman Kellie Augustyn. “Her knowledge of the workings of this town are unsurpassed and I am happy to have her back. Our community needed it and will benefit from it.”

As to Farmer’s coming back home, she also is anticipating great things and her love for the community continues to show in her work.

“I’m excited to be back in the position and working with my co-workers who have welcomed me back with open arms,” Farmer said. “The community has been warm and welcoming as well. I get, ‘great to have you back’ or ‘we missed you so much’ and that is what makes stepping back into the clerk/treasurer position easy.” 

Farmer was born and raised in Lusk, and graduated from NCHS there. She attended the University of Wyoming and received her Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Real Estate Finance. She is currently in her final year of graduate school through the University of Ohio for a master’s in Public Administration.