Meet Your Candidates: Cheyenne City Council Ward 2

According to the City of Cheyenne 2020 Candidate Filings page the candidates running for Cheyenne City Council Ward 2 are Bryan M. Cook, Tom Segrave, Boyd O. Wiggam, James M. Johnson, and Keren Meister-Emerich.
(KCRG)
Published: Jul. 16, 2020 at 12:55 PM CDT
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CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) - We reached out via email to all of the candidates filing for Cheyenne City Council to learn more about them. Below are the council candidates running for Ward 2 who responded to our request. The information below is written by the candidates and unedited by Wyoming News Now.

Bryan M. Cook

Photo Provided By Bryan Cook
Photo Provided By Bryan Cook

45 years old

Married Father of Two

Executive Director of the Wyoming Citizen Review Panel

Licensed Real Estate Agent with Peak Properties, LLC

Born and Raised in Cheyenne Wyoming.

Attended Cheyenne East High School

Bachelor of Arts in Administration of Justice from the University of Wyoming

Slogan: Cheyenne Strong.

Currently finishing second term on City Council. Initially took office in January 2013.

I initially ran for city council because I wanted my voice to be heard and for my vote to matter. Serving on council is my way to serve the community and try to make Cheyenne a great community in which to raise a family.

Our biggest challenge currently and moving forward will be the economy. We must continue to work to diversify our funding streams. In the face of budget shortfalls, as a municipality, we must also continue to provide amenities and high quality of services our citizens expect from us.

We have put a lot of effort into Quality of Life projects such as Civic Commons and development throughout the West Edge, specifically development of the Reed Avenue Corridor Project. I have worked with Scott Royal and others to allocate funding to develop access for the public to the Belvoir Ranch. In supporting the development of wind energy on the Belvoir Ranch, we have finally provided ourselves with a viable funding stream needed to develop the quality of life amenities there. I am very passionate about seeing these projects come to completion. I will continue to work to attract a new business to Cheyenne. I will continue to strive to make Cheyenne a place where my children will wish to live as adults.

Other information I would like the public to know. In my time on City Council, I have worked hard to be responsive to citizen concerns. I have worked to support projects and all three wards of our city. I supported the purchase of land for the future East Cheyenne Community Park. I supported building a pocket park to serve the residents of Buffalo Ridge. I work to make the Sanitation Department an Enterprise Fund. I have assisted in the continual efforts to refine our planning and permitting practices. I have supported the Sweetgrass Development in South Cheyenne. I supported the purchase and development of a rail spur in Swan Ranch in order to diversify the type of business Cheyenne is able to attract.

Tom Segrave

Photo Provided by Tom Segrave
Photo Provided by Tom Segrave

Name: Tom Segrave

Age: 63

Occupation: Insurance Agent

Political Experience: Cheyenne City Council 2001-2004, 2005-2008

Time in Cheyenne: 25 years

Slogan: Experience is Important

Why running: Cheyenne is at a crossroads, and experience is needed. Not only are there budget, virus, road, downtown development and infrastructure issues, but potential development at Warren Air Base could have huge impacts on all aspects of local life. Review of the Planning and Development office for ease of development is needed as well.

Cheyenne’s biggest challenge: Although there are many, balancing the needs of the community with the financial resources available is first.

If elected I hope to achieve: Fiscal responsibility, quality growth and development, Belvoir Ranch/Big Hole development, steam railroad toursm opportunities, pothole repairs, traffic control, downtown development, West Edge development, civility in the governing body.

Additional information: I have been married to my wife Ann for 32 years, we have raised three wonderful children in Cheyenne. I am proud to have been the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, President of the Kiwanis club, and President of the DDA. While serving of the city council from 2001 to 2008, I am proud of the work completed including:

Kiwanis Community House, Lions Park band stand and spray park, Sun Valley Park, Western Hills park, Logan viaduct, Storey Blvd extension, Depot renovation, Depot Plaza development, Spiker parking garage, purchase of the Belvoir Ranch for landfill and future water supply, “gray” water for parks, Fire Department training facility, Fire Department’s EMTs, Sanitation recycling program, Greenway expansion, and Ice and Events Center

Boyd O. Wiggam

Photo Provided by Boyd Wiggam
Photo Provided by Boyd Wiggam

Age: 47

Occupation: Attorney

Political Experience:

I have never held elective office. However, I have served Cheyenne and Laramie County as a memer of the Laramie County Comprehensive Plan Update Citizen's Advisory Committee and the

Cheyenne Metropolitan Area Citizen's Advisory Committee.

In addition, I worked as a Staff Attorney and Policy Analyst at a public policy think tank where much of my work focused on local government and property rights issues.

While in graduate school and law school I interned in a combined City/County planning office and in a City Attorney's office where I gained a broad range of experience in local governance.

Time in Cheyenne:

I have lived in Cheyenne for the past seven years. In addition, I was raised on a farm in rural Laramie County. My ancestors settled in Laramie County approximately 100 years ago and I am the fifth generation of my family to call Laramie County home. My children are sixth generation Laramie County residents.

Slogan:

"Step up Cheyenne"

Why you chose to run:

My wife, Iryna Wiggam, and I are raising our children in Cheyenne because we believe this a great place to raise children and we want to do our part to help make this community an even better place to live and work.

I want to use my background and education in economic development, public policy, and law to serve Cheyenne in these challenging times while working expand opportunities for all residents.

I am running because this community faces immense challenges, but also possesses tremendous potential. I want to do my part to help the City meet this difficult time responsibly and with a focus on our bright future.

I will also work to make the City more responsive to its residents and to cooperate better with partners throughout the Greater Cheyenne area.

What is Cheyenne’s biggest challenge:

The biggest challenge facing Cheyenne in the coming months and years is economic. We need more job opportunities and housing options for people who want to live and work here.

We need new, replacement, and better jobs for our current residents who have lost their or are stughling to get by. We also need a much more diverse and robust job market for young people who want to remain or settle here.

We need more varied and affordable market-rate housing choices so our residents can find something that will both meet their needs and let them have money left over to support local businesses.

Twenty years ago, Laramie County and Wyoming were facing difficult times. Neither oil, nor natural gas were booming and it was hard for young adults to launch a career in Cheyenne. Now we are facing similar challenges. Oil, gas, and coal are struggling and the state government is reducing staff. This is compounded by major changes at the refinery and the job losses caused by public health responses to COVID-19.

I believe the best way to accomplish that is to concentrate on the City's budget and core competencies like infrastructure and public safety while working to reduce regulations that limit job creation and housing options.

Cheyenne needs to focus on the economic impact of each proposed ordinance, amendment, and investment to ensure that we are doing the right thing maximize opportunities for jobs, new businesses, and housing supply and affordability.

If Elected I hope to Achieve:

Twenty years ago, Laramie County and Wyoming were facing difficult times. Neither oil, nor natural gas were booming and it was hard for young adults to launch a career in Cheyenne. In August 2000 I left Laramie County to start an academic journey through graduate school and law school because I wanted to learn how to help Cheyenne and Laramie County attract and create the kind of jobs that I was looking for when I graduated from the University of Wyoming.

If elected, my primary goal will be to help open new doors of opportunity for people to live, work and learn in Cheyenne by focusing on competent delivery of core governmental functions by the city.

Near term goals are to work toward excellence in core city government competencies like transportation infrastructure and public safety while maximizing opportunities for economic growth and diversification within the community.

Specifically, I want to make land use and business regulations more flexible to allow builders and entrepreneurs to try new things and meet emerging opportunities and trends.

My major, long term goal is to begin a discussion with the University of Wyoming and LCCC to incorporate a place for Cheyenne residents to complete college degrees or career training into the West Edge redevelopment project. Over time, this will be an important part of building our future that will last long after I am gone.

Additional Information You Would Like the Public to Know:

I am a true product of Wyoming and this is my home. I am a graduate of Burns High School, the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture, and the School of Law at the College of William & Mary. I also studied Economic Development Planning as a graduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

James M. Johnson

Photo Provided by James Johnson
Photo Provided by James Johnson

Occupation: Senior Auditor of State and Local Government Agencies with the Wyoming Department of Audit

Political Experience: Host of “From the Right Wyoming” a weekly news program on BitChute, and activism dedicated to promoting conservative causes and candidates across the Cowboy State

Slogan: Restoring Accountability – Standing Up for Cheyenne – Fighting for Our Future

Why you chose to run:

Initially, I was running for Mayor, but it is vitally important to Cheyenne’s survival that Orr not be re-elected, so I stepped aside and ran for council instead so as not to split the vote and make it harder for one or both of the other candidates to defeat her in the primary. I will do what I can to help either Pat or Rick and all of Cheyenne overcome our current government imposed economic crisis.

It is very important to me that our citizens and taxpayers have faith in our municipal government by ensuring that our tax funds are being used effectively and appropriately. With my educational background in public policy and government administration, my decades of reading on the subject, recent experience in financial analysis and auditing municipal budgets and programs, and my lifelong passion to ensure that our government remains accountable to its citizens – I will do my best to work in restoring the trust that so many here in Cheyenne lost over the last few years under our current mayor.

I will accomplish this by carefully vetting all expenditures, focusing on the city budget to concentrate our spending priorities back to basics (infrastructure and public safety) while our funding remains tight, and by opposing any frivolous spending or revenue increases that place a bigger burden on taxpayers already adversely impacted by our current economic crisis.

What is Cheyenne’s biggest challenge:

In the near term, it is definitely restoring the economy. That will be the main focus for the next few years at least. We need to implement proposals that encourage economic recovery by streamlining the permitting process, reducing burdens on existing and new businesses coming into our city, and working to make sure we get the most bang for our buck on any spending we must undertake as a city.

We also cannot continue to squeeze more out of our citizens who are already suffering from this current situation. I would like to work with the private sector and non-profits to encourage tourism with events throughout the year to bring in tourism dollars on a regular basis, as well as getting our storefronts filled and up and running again to bring money we’ve been leaching away to Fort Collins and Denver back into our city, and maybe even bring some of their money here instead. We need to make things easier on small businesses here in Cheyenne, not find petty ways to punish them or make the process harder on them to get going.

But one thing we should focus on as a city, and especially at the local level, is what kind of city do we want to be in the future. What does Cheyenne look like 5, 10, or even 50 years from now? Do we fight to maintain our small town charm and culture even as we inevitably grow? Or do we grow recklessly without regard to keeping the same spirit that once made Cheyenne the Magic City of the Plains?

I believe our municipal leadership should always have in mind what Cheyenne was, is, and what it should remain with each and every proposal they pursue. I would hate to see Cheyenne become another overcrowded, expensive, and frankly, corrupt and “progressive” controlled metropolis like so many cities.

If Elected I hope to Achieve:

I hope to restore the faith of our citizens in their local government. That our city leadership believes in and will work toward what is best for our city, that their tax money is in good hands, and that their rights and freedoms will be protected and upheld.

The main role of the city council is to not only serve as responsible stewards of our taxpayer resources, but also to serve as guardians of our liberties against out of control public officials and against mob rule and mass hysteria.

As a conservative, I do not allow my decisions to be forced by emotional appeals. I carefully consider historical trends and data in reaching my conclusions. I will not be pressured into something like taking down statues, promoting witch hunts of our small businesses, or passing an ordinance that pushes our city further to the left just because a well-organized and vocal minority of our citizens screams the loudest.

In short, by electing me, our taxpayer funds, our cultural heritage, and our civil liberties to hold opinions that are quickly being outlawed in our nation are all in good hands.

Additional Information You Would Like the Public to Know:

I have served our nation in multiple capacities as a former U.S. Air Force Spanish linguist and trainer of future airmen leaders, as well as on numerous boards and committees at the municipal level over the last few decades. My education is in both public and business administration with both a Bachelors in Politics and Public Administration and also a Masters in Business Administration. I have a decade of experience in financial analysis between my previous career with U.S. Bank and my most recent work with the Department of Audit, so I love to crunch numbers and find discrepancies in the data. I plan to use those skills and passion to sniff out any malfeasance and eliminate waste in our budget.

Keren Meister-Emerich, EdD

Photo Provided By Keren Meister-Emerich, Ed. D.
Photo Provided By Keren Meister-Emerich, Ed. D.

Age: 71

Occupation: Retired Educator: Laramie County School District 1; Part-time online university faculty.

Political Experience: none

Time in Cheyenne: over 45 years

Slogan:

Thoughtful, Informed Decision Making

Why you chose to run:

The City of Cheyenne is facing some serious problems and I want to be part of the solution. I have the experience, energy, and commitment to get the job done. The City Council, Mayor, and City employees must work with the community to resolve tough issues.

What is Cheyenne’s biggest challenge:

The biggest challenge facing the City is how to fund essential projects. Residents’ concerns, which include street repairs, public transportation, flooding and drainage problems, the Hitching Post area, recreation facilities, parks, public safety, maintenance, and the downtown Cheyenne “hole”, must be addressed. As Cheyenne faces tough economic times, every expenditure will have to be weighed against its impact on people. I will learn about the issues and make tough, informed decisions even if they would not be popular.

However, the difficult economic times facing local businesses and citizens also present extraordinary challenges. The City must vigorously support economic development. It is essential to collaborate with Cheyenne LEADS, the Wyoming Business Council, Cheyenne Downtown Development Authority, Visit Cheyenne, Chamber of Commerce, Wyoming Office of Tourism, Laramie County Commissioners, and officials from other communities in the county and area.

If Elected I hope to Achieve:

  • Respectful, collaborative, consensus decisions with the Mayor, other City Council members, residents, and departments for the best outcomes for citizens.
  • Maintenance and expansion of infrastructure including transportation, safety, technology, water, sewerage system, and recreation.
  • Vital economic development accomplished by encouraging entrepreneurship, expanding our economic base, and opening the doors of opportunity to businesses and individuals.
  • Allocation of funds in a fiscally responsible and conservative manner.
  • Review the impact of decisions from multiple points of view.

Additional Information You Would Like the Public to Know (3 paragraphs):

I have both Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the University of Wyoming. I am a Cheyenne Frontier Days Volunteer, Leadership Wyoming Graduate, and a member of Chamber of Commerce and Ascension Lutheran Church. I was a member of the Cheyenne 150 Celebration Committee that provided a week of entertainment and celebration for Cheyenne residents that was completely funded by donations.

My husband and I are committed to Cheyenne and Wyoming. We support many community organizations including: Climb Wyoming, Boys and Girls Club, COMEA shelter, Friday Food Bag, Wyoming Women’s Foundation, Old West Museum, FFA Foundation, Cowboy Joe Club, and the University of Wyoming.

Cheyenne residents can contact me at Keren4Council@gmail.com and visit my Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Keren4Council-100508455057726

According to the City of Cheyenne 2020 Candidate Filings page the candidates running for Cheyenne City Council Ward 2 are Bryan M. Cook, Tom Segrave, Boyd O. Wiggam, James M. Johnson, and Keren Meister-Emerich.

The Primary Election is on August 18th.

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