Filing opens Oct. 1 for second round of property tax cuts

A break for homeowners could be another blow to the county budget

Homeowners in Big Horn County recently received a notice with their property tax statement that they may be eligible for further exemptions in 2026. 

“Oh boy. … The phone’s been ringing off the hook since everyone got their tax notices,” County Assessor Gina Anderson said on Tuesday. 

Property tax cuts of 50% for long-term homeowners aged 65 and up were first established in 2024 and are on their second year of implementation for the 2026 tax season. This will be their last year in effect unless lawmakers choose to re-up or change the legislation. 

“The Legislature could change everything,” Anderson noted. 

Those who received the long-term homeowner cuts last year with no ownership or residency changes may simply complete an affidavit with the county assessor’s office to re-up. Surviving spouses of 2025 recipients may also qualify. New applicants must be either a homeowner or their spouse aged 65 and up and have paid Wyoming property tax for 25 years, residing at the property at least eight months of the year and should contact the county assessor’s office to apply. 

Anderson explained that the initial cuts had a large impact on the county. For the 2025 tax season, the assessor’s office received about 600 applications. 

In 2025, SF69 added a 25% property tax cut for single-family residences off the first $1 million fair market value of their home. For the 2026 cuts, an additional requirement that the homeowner must reside in the residence for eight months of the year was applied. This reduction must be applied for annually, accessible at ptd.wyo.gov/OWNEROCC. The 25% cut is not available to homeowners who qualify for the long-term exemption. 

Valuations for 2026 are still in-progress, and the assessor’s office won’t know how much cuts affect the county until the filing deadline. 

Earlier this year, the assessor’s office reported the 2025 valuation for the county dropped $297,024,366 after exemptions. The local assessed value dropped $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 shared in a memo this August. 

County entities were initially asked to cut 10% from their budget from what they had been awarded in the 2024-25 season for this year. An immediate salary freeze and hiring freeze were put in place. 

Among the highest percentage cuts, elections took a 59% hit, emergency management was down 55% and local emergency planning down 30%. Two Big Horn County libraries were shuttered following a 20% cut to their budget. After cuts, $400,000 was still needed from the county general reserve fund to balance the 2025-26 budget. 

Commissioners have predicted further property tax cuts will continue to impact the operation of various county services in 2026 during their meetings. 

Anderson reported that a taxpayer recently shared with her that he qualified for the long-term homeowner cuts.  “He was reluctant to do it because he had read and he knew how bad it was hurting the county, the cemeteries, the tax districts, the schools. He wasn’t going to do it, but he saved over $800 in taxes,” she said. 

“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 opens Oct. 1. The deadline for the 25% homeowner exemption is Feb. 1, 2026. Applications are due May 26, 2026, for the long-term homeowner exemption. 

Contact the Big Horn County Assessor’s Office at 307-568-2547 for more information.