Two Republicans and two Democrats are vying for two positions to represent the 70,000 people of Natrona County for the next four years.

On Nov. 4, voters will choose among Democrats Ray Pacheco and V. Worth Christie and Republicans Matt Keating and Ed Opella to serve on the Natrona County Commission. The race is countywide and the top two vote-getters win.

Pacheco and Christie have run unsuccessfully for political office; Pacheco ran for a commission post in 2006, and Christie ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 1994 and for U.S. House in 1996.

Keating is finishing his first four-year term on the commission, and Opella is a former Casper City Council member.

The winners of the general election will join commissioners Democrat Terry Wingerter and Republicans Rob Hendry and Barb Peryam to oversee the governance of the 5,369 square-mile county with a current budget of $47.3 million.

The county pays commissioners $25,000 a year.

In the next couple of years, the commission will be dealing with major projects such as the completion of the new courthouse called the Natrona County-Townsend Justice Center, possible construction of a new public library, the possible construction of a juvenile detention center, development of infrastructure including the more than 800 miles of county roads.

While not as profound as the capital construction, other commissioners' duties will range from budget hearings to declaring fire bans, to working with the Wyoming Medical Center, which is the county's largest asset.

Barring illness, all candidates said they would be able to attend the commission's meetings

The candidates outlined some of their ideas and goals if elected:

Worth Christie:

Christie told the Natrona County Democratic Women's forum on Oct. 11 that he probably has more business background than anyone on the commission.

He owned the Christie Agency insurance agency in Casper until 2003, he said.

But in 1998, he filed for personal bankruptcy protection.

Likewise, his All American Professional Basketball League formed in 2005, but was forced to file for bankruptcy after a nine-month effort to establish 10 teams in seven states.

The county needs to pay for the courthouse, then consider what to do about a new juvenile justice center, Christie said.

Christie is concerned the energy boom that has benefited the county may be on the wane, which could affect projects such as the proposed library.

He doesn't want to see the county obligated for major projects that would later have their funding cut because of an economic downturn.

Matt Keating:

Since his election in 2004, Keating has advocated for the creation of a new juvenile detention center, which is currently on the third floor of the Hall of Justice, and should be the county's top priority after the completion of the new courthouse. The county could pay for the center by using its own savings and state funds.

Keating also would like the commission to work with other agencies to help Midwest build a new swimming pool.

He was the only commissioner to vote on Sept. 2 against granting a conditional use permit for a developer to open a strip club west of Mills. Despite First Amendment concerns, Keating argued that the Wyoming Constitution said the health and morality of the people is essential to their well-being.

Because he's a sitting commissioner, Keating cannot legally urge voters to approve or deny any optional 1 percent sales tax project, including the ballot measure for a new library. However, he said libraries should grow with their communities.

Ed Opella:

Opella intends to bring his business and city government experience to commission decisions.

Maintaining services to the people of the county through salary increases for county employees and budgeting to maintain roads, bridges and county buildings are major budget issues.

As such, the commission's primary job is to determine how it will pay for current and future projects, including the courthouse and a new juvenile detention center.

The county should build a new juvenile detention center if it's necessary. But because it's a detention center, it should not be built any better than it needs to be for criminals. If adequate funding can't be found, he does not agree with a tax to pay for the project.

He declined to either endorse or oppose the proposed limited sixth-cent sales tax to build a new library. He would follow the voters' decision, because that's what commissioners should always do.

Ray Pacheco:

The commission has a communication problem with the county's residents, and Pacheco wants to fix that.

For example, the commissioners should have known that the request for a conditional use permit for the strip club west of Mills would generate a lot of interest. People were upset that they didn't know about the permit until after the fact. Pacheco would have voted against granting the permit, he added.

Likewise, the commission could do more to insist that the Wyoming Medical Center communicate with the county, he said.

Pacheco, who's done casework with youth in the justice system, favors a regional juvenile detention center that could accept youth from other counties so Natrona County could receive the subsequent revenues to house them, he said.

While the county is enjoying the revenue from the energy boom, Pacheco cautioned that it could end. He would like to see the county establish a cash reserve of $5 million, and he doesn't know if the county can afford it at this time.

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

Party: Democrat

Age: 66

Home: Casper

Occupation: Retired, has been a full-time student at Casper College

Education: Attended Eastern Montana College of Education, University of Alaska, South Texas Junior College

Family: Married, four children

Political experience: None

Matt Keating

Party: Republican

Age: 46

Home: Casper

Occupation: Firefighter for the Natrona County Fire Protection District

Education: High school diploma, some college

Family: Married, 7 children

Political experience: One four-year term as Natrona County commissioner

Ed Opella

Party: Republican

Age: 61

Home: Casper

Occupation: Retired; former pump supply business owner

Education: B.S., Behavioral Sciences, Westminster (Utah) College

Family: Married, 2 children

Political experience: 11 years on the Casper City Council, including two years as mayor; six years on the Wyoming Transportation Commission

Ray Pacheco

Party: Democrat

Age: 32

Home: Casper

Occupation: Teach religion at St. Anthony's Tri-Parish School, policy

Education: B.A. in political science from Carroll College in Helena, Mont.

Family: Married, two children

Political experience: None

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