Evansville has the beginnings of a fine antique tractor and truck museum: A 1984 Case backhoe, a 1978 Ford backhoe, a 1980 Case front end loader, a 1983 garbage truck, a 1985 dump truck, and a 1980 Aqua Tech storm sewer cleaning truck.

It's too bad the town of 2,500 east of Casper needs these vehicles to maintain its streets, utilities and other needs, Mayor Phil Hinds said Saturday.

"Our public works equipment is old and getting older," Hinds told Natrona County's legislators - four senators and eight house members - during the second of a two-day meeting at Casper City Hall.

Replacement costs for these and other vehicles, aside from the town's two new fire trucks, would cost about $1.5 million, he said.

Much of Evansville's water and sewage flows through iron pipe, and a break in a pipe last year caused a water loss for three days, Hinds said.

The equipment doesn't include the cost of more people including police and public works employees, especially since the town's new 243-residence subdivision will increase the population 800 people, or more than 25 percent, in the next five years, he said.

"I've heard it said we're saving for a rainy day," Hinds said. "It's raining in Evansville."

The legislators at the town hall meeting organized by Sen. Kit Jennings, R-Casper, heard from several other government and educational institutions, as well as nonprofit groups representing agriculture, the disabled and midwives. The 2008 Legislature budget session is scheduled to convene at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 11.

Hinds encouraged the legislators to support a method of funding local governments that would assure a base amount depending on minerals revenues especially during the energy boom, plus additional funding based on the population of a city, town or county.

"It makes sense to spend money now for infrastructure," he said.

The five Natrona County commissioners echoed his comments about infrastructure concerns, including finding more money for the courthouse expansion estimated to cost between $22 million and $24 million, water lines for Bar Nunn, a new juvenile detention center, and $54 million to maintain or even replace the 650 miles of unpaved county roads.

The Wyoming County Commission Association met last week in Lusk, and it unanimously approved the proposal by Sen. Michael Von Flatern, R-Campbell County, to increase the state's fuel tax by 10 cents a gallon as a user fee to help cover the costs of repairing or replacing roads, commissioner Barb Peryam said.

Commissioner Rob Hendry echoed a comment by House Speaker Roy Cohee, R-Casper, that nobody likes to talk about taxes, but the state and counties need adequate roads.

Jeff McDonald of the Wyoming Contractors Association agreed with the need for better roads and warned of impending problems with inadequate pay for Wyoming Department of Transportation engineers and federal highway funding cuts.

Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, said the Legislature in 1989 repealed a ton-mile tax on truck freight, which gave interstate trucking companies a break. "We're paying a big price for that."

After his presentation, McDonald said he'd support a 10 cent per gallon increase for capital improvements for highways, but that's a tough sell even after the Minneapolis interstate bridge collapse on Aug. 1 that killed 13. "If people can get a free ride, they're going to take it."

Human capital merits consideration, too, according to the 7th District Attorney's office and Natrona County Circuit Court Judge Michael Huber.

They urged legislators to continue support for drug courts and substance abuse treatment for addicts.

Treatment works, saves lives and costs far less than incarceration at the Wyoming State Penitentiary, Assistant District Attorney Brian Christensen said.

Huber has shepherded the drug court system because jailing drunk drivers and misdemeanor drug offenders wasn't working, he said.

Despite its successes, Supreme Court Chief Justice Barton Voight recently stated drug courts should not be part of a judge's job, Huber said.

While he may be bucking the high court, Huber believes the judiciary should order treatment.

Huber believes other counties will begin programs similar to the one in Natrona County, he said.

"We're finally coming close to dealing with (substance abuse) the right way," he said.

Reach Tom Morton at (307) 266-0592, or at Tom.Morton@trib.com.