Patrick Collins would bring vision, energy to City Hall. But winning mayoral election will not be easy

BY D. REED ECKHARDT

It was the fall of 2000, and no one could foresee what was about to come for sleepy ole Cheyenne.

            Then-City Council member Jack Spiker was elected mayor on the usual platform of streets-streets-streets, so residents were buckling in for another four years of the status quo. That was just fine with the naysaying crowd that put Spiker into office; change never was on their agenda (for that matter, it still isn’t).

            But that wasn’t how things turned out. 

Ward 2 ended up electing two visionary council members — Patrick Collins and Tom Segrave — and they eventually

The depot and plaza is a legacy of the Spiker-Collins-Segrave effort.

helped Spiker to become one of the most progressive mayors in the city’s history. Indeed, right up until the Great Recession of 2008, Cheyenne developed a statewide reputation as the most progressive city in Wyoming. The Capital City was the envy of many Wyomingites who understood that without change their communities, and the state, would fall ever further behind the national curve.

            Consider just a few of the things that occurred until the leadership of Spiker, Collins and Segrave. Perhaps their greatest accomplishment was the development of the downtown plaza, as they formed a partnership with the railroad to buy the depot, trade land for the plaza and create a community gathering place that has more than reached its potential. Similarly, there is the downtown parking garage, which has made the plaza work. They also put up the Community House at Lions Park and expanded the Greenway.

            This, and more, came about because Collins and Segrave understood, and helped Spiker to understand, that they could use city reserves, bonding, partnerships with the private sector and the 6th penny sales tax to make things happen. Their goal: to help mold the city into a more attractive place for young families and young professionals. 

The recession blunted their efforts, and the city has since elected two do-nothing mayors — Rick Kaysen and Marian Orr. They have overseen the status quo, lacking the kind of vision that the Spike-Collins-Segrave trio had for growing the city.

            Now Collins has come off the bench and announced that he is running for mayor. The owner of the Bicycle Station, he has an extensive local business background, knows the city’s operations and has the energy for the position. And, yes, there is that vision thing, the ability to see where this city is and where it needs to go. And he can put together a strategy to get there.

            None of this means it will be easy for Collins. 

             Incumbency carries a lot of weight here, and if Orr seeks re-election, she will have that advantage. But it also is true that she has squandered a ton of political capital in the last year with her ethical violations, misuse of grant funds for personal gain, faux pothole emergency and her haughty disdain for the voters (remember her telling them they could “go kick rocks” if they didn’t like her decisions?) Still, she has the support of the do-nothing crowd since she threatens the status quo not in the least.

            Additionally, Collins’ successes in the early 2000s came at a price. A large portion of Cheyenne fought progressive efforts tooth and nail, earning themselves the moniker of “naysayers” from

Patrick Collins

us at the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. They eventually lost the argument — Spiker, Collins and others like them were elected and re-elected — only to enjoy a resurgence under Kaysen and Orr. They have long memories and will be looking to provide some payback.

            Similarly, Collins’ ties to the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce will be problematic. The chamber crowd thinks it knows what is best for local residents. It doesn’t. Witness the defeats — twice — of the proposed recreation center until Chamber leadership. And then there was the fiasco of an effort to install a city administrator. That was a good idea, poorly executed and basically in disregard of the concerns from the community.

            The naysayers didn’t like the Chamber during Collins’ time in office — it supported the city’s progressive efforts — and they don’t like to now. Again, payback awaits, and Collins would be wise to stay as far away from Chamber support as possible.

            It will be interesting to see what approach he takes. I can affirm that a unabashedly progressive platform may not go far in 2020 after having my tail handed to me in the Ward 1 council election four years ago. 

I remember taking my daughter to vote absentee and seeing the long line of pro-Trump voters waiting to take their turns at the polls. Their profile is not progressive, period. Thus, my “Think Big” platform went over like a lead balloon. These same voters will be at the polls big-time again this November. That is not a good sign for candidates with a vision to lead Cheyenne into the 2020s.

            And, of course, it depends on who else enters the race. Former City Council member Richard Johnson is one such wild card (if he enters, that certainly will challenge my support for Collins; Johnson would be an excellent candidate). I’m sure there may be others.

            Regardless, it will be good to see an experienced, smart and visionary candidate in the race for mayor this time around. This city has been in the doldrums for far too long. Cheyenne can do a whole lot worse than having Patrick Collins as its mayor. Four more years of Orr would be a good example of that.

            D. Reed Eckhardt is the former executive editor of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.