A former Laramie County commissioner is making a bid to return to the board more than a decade after leaving office, positioning himself as a voice for residents over government and a check on long-term incumbents.
M. Lee Hasenauer, a Republican who served a two-year term on the Laramie County Board of County Commissioners from 2012 to 2014, announced his candidacy for the board. The 37-year Laramie County resident and former Nebraska farm boy said his priorities center on data center development, term limits, youth job growth and ensuring residents have a meaningful say in county decisions.
Hasenauer has made data centers one of his central concerns, arguing that decisions about allowing such developments in the county should go before voters rather than being decided by a small group of commissioners. He cited the depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer as a serious threat to the farmers and ranchers who depend on it, and said the current data center boom risks pulling Laramie County away from its agricultural and ranching heritage.
On taxes and development deals, Hasenauer argued the county should be extracting better terms from large companies seeking to build in the area, including contributions to local law enforcement, fire and rescue, libraries and schools that could significantly reduce the property tax burden on residents.
He is also running on a term limits message, noting that two sitting commissioners have served 12 and 16 years respectively, and would reach 16 and 20 years if re-elected. He said most residents he has spoken with support limiting commissioners to eight to ten years in office.
Hasenauer will appear on the August 18 Republican primary ballot alongside nine other candidates, three of whom are incumbents. Two Democrats are also in the race.
By: DNU News wire
