About the Board of County Commissioners:

The Board of Platte County Commissioners is a three person board. Each member of the board is elected to a four-year term, with no limit in the number of terms that can be sought for election. Two Commissioner positions are elected during the Midterm cycle and one Commissioner position runs during the Presidential cycle. Here are the current Board of Platte County Commissioners:

Steve Shockley, Chairman - First elected in 2010, Steve was sworn into office in January 2011. Steve is currently serving his fourth term as a Commissioner.

Please send all mail correspondence to: PO Box 728, Wheatland, WY 82201

When and where they meet:

The Board of Platte County Commissioners meet on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Their regular meeting on these days is called to order at 9:00 AM. Special meetings and public hearings are scheduled as issues arise. Those special meetings will be advertised on the home page of the County website as well as the Commissioner Calendar. If anyone is interested in speaking to the Commissioners at one of their meetings, please contact the County Clerk, Malcolm Ervin, by calling (307)322-2315 or by emailing pcclerk@plattecountywyoming.com. 

The Commissioners meet in the basement of the County Courthouse at 800 9th Street, Wheatland, WY 82201. Their meeting room can be accessed from the alley on the east side of the building. If you enter the Courthouse on the west or south side of the building you will need to descend one level either by stair or by elevator. Any office will be happy to direct you to the Commissioner room.

What they do:

There are numerous statutory references to County Commissioners but Wyoming law outlines the position of Commissioner in Wyoming State Statutes §18-3-501 through §18-3-524. The general powers and duties can be found in W.S.S. §18-3-504 but following are a few critical duties to note and a couple of extra duties captured in the power vested in Commissioners to “perform such duties as prescribed by law.” In order to see what the Commissioners have on the agenda for an upcoming meeting please click here.

1. Budgeting: The County Clerk is the chief budget officer of the county. It is the Clerk’s responsibility to prepare the annual budget in conjunction with the various departments. On or before May 15th, the Clerk will deliver a preliminary budget to the Commissioners who then have the authority amend the budget in the best interest of the County and review that budget at a public meeting on, or before, the third Monday in July. The public is encouraged to attend this public hearing for the purposes of understanding the County's budget! The Commissioners will then approve the final budget for the County. The budgeting procedure for counties is administered through the Uniform Municipal Fiscal Procedures Act (W.S.S. §16-4-101 through 124).
2. County Roads: Commissioners are charged with the care and maintenance of county roads (W.S.S. §24-1-104). Platte County owns more miles of road in our county than the federal, state and city governments combined. Most Commissioners will agree that the number one issue their constituents talk to them about is the status of county roads.
3. County Buildings: Commissioners are required to manage the county courthouse and all county buildings. This can be a large expense especially in counties with more significant law enforcement and judicial needs.
4. Planning & Zoning: Commissioners are authorized to regulate and restrict the location and the use of buildings and structures and the use, condition of use or occupancy of lands for residence, recreation, agriculture, industry, commerce, public use and other purposes in the unincorporated area of the county. The purpose of planning and zoning is as stated in the statutes: “to promote the public health, safety, morals and general welfare of the county” (W.S.S. §18-5-201 through 208).
5. Emergency Preparedness: County commissioners have an important role in homeland security/emergency management. The Wyoming Homeland Security Act and the Wyoming Emergency Response Act envision a leadership role for county commissioners in all aspects of homeland security emergencies and disasters regardless of whether the cause is natural, man-made or terrorism related. The current threats to national security and the creation of the Federal Homeland Security Agency have made the position an even more prominent issue for commissioners. In order to ensure that leadership structure is seamless, the commissioners appoint an Emergency Management Coordinator. Currently, Terry Stevenson serves as the Platte County Emergency Management Coordinator. To contact Terry, please visit this page.
6. Federal Cooperating Agencies. In a county with land owned by the federal government, a Commissioner may be called upon to act as “cooperator” with the federal government in land use planning and environmental assessment actions. The role is a federally granted position that Commissioners possess to be at the table in determining the management actions of federal lands within the borders of the county.
7. Board Appointments: The Commissioners appoint members to nine different boards. These boards serve a variety of functions. If you are interested in serving on a board please visit the Boards & Members web page.
8. County Engineer: Every year, the Commissioners appoint an engineer, pursuant to W.S.S. §18-3-701.