Casper residents face a variety of challenges depending on their individual circumstances, but several concerns arise consistently. Affordability remains a significant issue, particularly regarding water, sewer, and trash utility rates, especially for residents on fixed or limited incomes. Constituents also seek timely responses to questions about city services and a clearer understanding of the ordinances and regulations that affect their daily lives.
During my first term on the City Council, residents contacted me about utility costs, landfill access, street maintenance, neighborhood safety, traffic management, business development, zoning restrictions, and easement questions related to fiber-optic installation. While the issues vary, the common thread is a desire for responsive, transparent, and effective local government that listens and provides practical solutions.
Over the past four years, I have worked diligently to represent Casper residents by studying issues thoroughly, asking thoughtful questions, and listening carefully to citizen input before making decisions. As a council member, I believe it is my responsibility to understand the financial, operational, and long-term implications of every ordinance, resolution, and budget decision that comes before the council.
If reelected, I will continue to focus on fiscal responsibility while maintaining the essential services and infrastructure our community depends upon. I will ask difficult questions, evaluate proposed expenditures carefully, and work to avoid costly deferred maintenance. Just as importantly, I will remain accessible to residents—listening to concerns, researching solutions, and connecting constituents with the appropriate city departments when issues arise. Effective leadership begins with listening and is strengthened by informed, responsible decision-making.
My qualifications are grounded in more than 30 years of leadership and public service. Through service on nonprofit boards, professional organizations, and my career as a teacher and school administrator, I have gained extensive experience in budgeting, personnel management, governance, strategic planning, and community engagement.
These roles required balancing competing priorities, making difficult financial decisions, and ensuring resources were used responsibly. I also understand the challenges residents face because, like many in our community, I live on a fixed income and must make careful decisions about household spending. This perspective helps me approach city budgeting with both fiscal discipline and empathy. I recognize the importance of funding essential services such as public safety and infrastructure while thoughtfully considering investments in parks, recreation, and other amenities that contribute to our community’s quality of life.
Casper has a lot going for it, and I think most of us are proud to call it home. But people are facing some real challenges. The concerns I hear most often are public safety, the rising cost of living, and maintaining the infrastructure that keeps our city running.
I’ve also heard increasing concern about the continued impact of methamphetamine and the growing threat posed by fentanyl. Addiction destroys lives and hurts families, and it affects the safety and quality of life of the entire community. People struggling with addiction deserve opportunities for treatment and recovery, but communities also need order, accountability, and safe neighborhoods.
I also hear concerns about whether working families will continue to be able to afford to live, raise children, and build a future here. And maintaining our streets, water systems, and other infrastructure isn’t glamorous, but it’s part of being good stewards of the community we’ve inherited and preserving it for those who come after us.
Casper is a special place, and I believe one of our responsibilities is to address today’s challenges while ensuring it remains a place where families can thrive for generations to come.
If elected, I’ll focus on the things city government is responsible for. We need to support law enforcement and first responders, maintain the infrastructure that keeps the city running, and be responsible with taxpayer dollars. I believe in doing the basics well and making decisions with the long term in mind.
I also think people should know what’s happening in their city. Years ago, you could pick up the morning paper and have a pretty good understanding of what was going on in Casper. Today, people often have to follow a dozen different sources just to stay informed, and keeping up with the community has become a real challenge. I’d like to explore ways to improve communication and make local government more accessible, because city government works best when citizens stay engaged and leaders remember who they work for.
My goal is to provide practical, thoughtful leadership and help ensure Casper remains a place where families can live, work, and thrive.
Service has been a common thread throughout my life. I served in the Marine Corps, supported the federal government overseas, and have spent much of my career helping people and organizations solve problems. I’ve also owned a small business and have developed a passion for improving how organizations work, especially breaking down silos and bringing people together to accomplish common goals. Those experiences taught me the importance of accountability, stewardship, and making decisions with long-term consequences in mind.
I’ve also learned that good decisions come from listening and working with others. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do believe in doing the fundamentals well, treating people with respect, and leaving things better than we found them. I believe those qualities, combined with a commitment to service, have prepared me to serve the citizens of Casper.
As the cost of living (goods and services) increases, Casper residents must choose what level of service (LOS) the city can continue to provide (what services at what level)? This includes vital infrastructure (roads, sewer, water, parks) and city services (fire, police, rec, garbage, specialty programs…).
In order answer the publics question, utilization of city staffs expertise and transparency with the public will be crucial to get to the correct answers and outcomes. Some form of visioning process needs to be developed to better understand what are the publics priorities. This visioning process combined delivery cost of services should provide a clear direction for resource allocation.
By education, I have a degree in Geography and Regional Planning from Easter Oregon University. I have spent many years in county and city planning on both long range (comprehensive-30yr. plans) and current planning (short term-ordinance implementation). I hold a commercial pilots license and worked in airport port management and development. I currently work in Health, Safety and Environmental Compliance for a midstream company here in Wyoming. This diverse background uniquely lends itself to the city council position in Ward 2.
The biggest challenge that Casper, as well as all of Wyoming, has is the export of our youth. We all must work to reverse this trend, and as a Casper City Council member, I will work within the Council to continue the work towards efforts to do just that.
As a business owner, the hiring and retention of employees has been one of our biggest struggles. We must continue to foster a community where young people want to stay to raise their families, start businesses, and join in creating a better Casper. The same amenities that attract tourism to our area, our state’s second largest economic driver, is the very thing that attracts residents to want to stay here. I am a parent to six amazing children, and I want my children to want to be here, and I want your children to want to be here.
Another major challenge for our community is stable funding for services. There has been an ongoing effort to consolidate funding authority to Cheyenne. We must work with our local legislators to retain the ability for the citizens in our community to determine what public goods and services that we want in our community.
We all need to work together to create and sustain a vibrant community, one with opportunities, especially for our youth. As a member of the City Council, I will work with the body to collaborate with our County Commissioners and members of the other five municipalities and our state legislators.
For those who lived here through the 1980s and 1990s, Casper was hard hit by the drop in oil prices. Services were limited and houses and businesses were vacant. Those who proceeded us understood that we as a community were dependent on the price of oil, and they had the foresight to make decisions to help move away from the complete reliance on the industry. We need to honor their intent and be good financial stewards of public funds for our current residents as well as those who come after us. We all have oil and gas to thank for our standard of living in Casper, but we also need to continue to look at attracting other industries as well.
I am a Casper native, raised in this amazing place. As a parent to children ranging from adult to school age, I understand the issues facing families in our community.
I am a petroleum geologist, and my professional background is in oil and gas. In addition, I am a business owner and also have experience in retail, real estate, tourism, and manufacturing. I understand the challenges the business community is facing. I also serve on several boards, both in Casper as well as statewide, and I understand the challenges that nonprofits and governmental and regulatory bodies are dealing with as well.
My name is Shane True, I ask for your vote on August 18th for Casper City Council Ward II.
I believe the most crucial challenge for people of Casper is governments spending on projects it was never ment to fund. The government needs to spend the money it receives from tax payers as if it was their personal money.
I would be the person in the room trying to get back to the basics of government responsibility. When there is a vote I am going to vote for smaller government and letting the private sector work.
I spent several years at the coal mine in Wyoming. The biggest reason I am running is during 2020 during Covid i spent most of the year taking care of my father. He was put on a ventilator 3 times and he fought back from that all 3 times. I got a front row seat to how bad the government was at working for the people. The last conversation I had with him I told him I was going to run for office and try to change things.
