North, Coates take top spots on county commission ballot (2024)

When the next iteration of the Natrona County Board of Commissioners takes office, there will be one new face, albeit one with a familiar name.

Incumbent Dave North earned the top spot on the Republican ballot with 5,394 votes out of 23,256 votes cast, or 23.19%. Close behind was newcomer Casey Coates with 4,716 votes, or 20.28%. Coates, for whose family Coates Road is named, will take the seat being vacated by Steve Freel.

On Tuesday night, Coates said, “I’m just really grateful to the residents of Natrona County for putting their faith in me. It’s pretty exciting.”

Coates said he wanted to thank his family for their support.

“I think good things are on the horizon for Natrona County,” he added.

North said he appreciated that the county commissioners’ race was a cordial one, unlike some other races.

“There wasn’t any mud-slinging. The candidates took the high road, and I think that’s how Wyoming is supposed to be done,” he said.

There were no challengers for the county commission seats on the Democratic ballot.

The wait for results was considerably longer than usual. Neither the Natrona County Clerk’s office nor the Wyoming Secretary of State provided preliminary results, as has been the custom in years past. When results were eventually posted on the county website, an IT glitch made the results inaccessible.

The incoming board members will likely find themselves caught between a rock and a bunch of rocks. A proposed gravel mine on state school trust lands on Coates Road has dominated the news out of the board for much of the year.

Prism Logistics, led by Kyle True, wants to build a 15-acre gravel mining operation on Coates Road at the base of Casper Mountain.

The proposal has sparked considerable opposition, primarily from the Casper Mountain Preservation Alliance, which has gathered more than 17,000 signatures on a petition opposing the plan.

As a candidate, Coates said the fact that the plan has moved forward as far as it has “represents a failure at the state lands and leasing level.” In response to a Star-Tribune questionnaire, he said he opposes any mining in the area, but “should mining activities be pursued in a manner that satisfies the parameters set forth by the state and conditional use, I would have no recourse other than to support their furtherance.”

The group says the mining operation would scar the mountain, create excessive traffic, damage residents’ water systems, and damage the ecosystem in the area. They also worry that the operation would grow beyond the initial 15-acre footprint.

True, who says the proposed operation would create jobs and meet the needs of construction work in the county, says the group’s fears are unfounded. Prism has not yet filed an application for a conditional use permit for the project with the county, although the commissions have heard plenty of opinions about the plan during the board’s public comment periods.

True has pointed out that there are other gravel operations in the Casper area, some of which are in or near residential areas. Additionally, he has said the operation would align with the state mandate to maximize revenue from school trust lands.

True has also stated that the company would mitigate dust and noise from the operation, and that it would likely run no earlier than 6 a.m. and no later than 6 p.m. The company is committed to the reclamation of the property as well, he’s stated.

When asked for their position on the Coates Road issue, all of the candidates said they either oppose the plan or need more information. The only incumbent in the race, North, declined to comment because the board will likely have to decide the issue at some point.

North and Coates edged out former county commissioners Terry Wingerter (3,861 votes, 16.60%), Paul C. Bertoglio (3,684 votes, 15.84%), and Matt Keating (3,011 votes, 12.95%). Candidate Rozmaring Czaban finished with 1,264 votes, or 5.44%; Curt Simpson Jr. finished with 686 votes, or 2.95%; and Arthur Youngberg received 545 votes, or 2.34%.