Wyoming Statutes

Wyo. Stat. § 15-7-101 (2026)

Purposes.

✓ current as of May 2026
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(a) In addition to all other powers provided by law, any
city or town may make public improvements as follows for which
bonds may be issued to the contractor or be sold as provided in
this chapter to:

          (i) Pave any street or streets in front of or
adjacent to any public hospital or institution within the city
or town;
          (ii) Establish, construct, purchase, extend, maintain
and regulate a system of water works, for the purpose of
supplying water for extinguishing fires and for domestic,
manufacturing and other purposes. To carry out this power, or to
prevent pollution or injury to the streams, springs or source of
supply of its water works, ditches or reservoirs, any city or
town may go beyond its corporate limits and take, hold and
acquire property by purchase or otherwise and may take and
condemn all necessary land and property. Jurisdiction of a city
or town shall extend up and along the stream or source of supply
for the entire distance occupied by such water works, ditches or
reservoirs. Cities or towns may enact ordinances and make all
necessary rules and regulations for the government and
protection of their water works, ditches and reservoirs, and fix
water rates and provide for their collection. All water rent
collected except the amount required to pay the expense of
maintaining, extending and improving the water works, shall
become a part of the water bond fund, and be applied only to the
payment of the principal and interest of the bonds issued for
the construction, purchase, maintaining or extension of the
water works;

          (iii) Take any action necessary to establish,
purchase, extend, maintain and regulate a water system for
supplying water to and diverting surface water runoff from its
inhabitants and their property and for any other public
purposes, including:

                  (A)   Condemnation of property;

               (B) Prescribing and regulating of rates for the
use of water and diversion or management of surface water
runoff; and

                  (C)   Enacting ordinances for their enforcement
and collection.

          (iv) Establish, construct, purchase, extend, maintain
and regulate a system of sewerage;

          (v) Establish, maintain and regulate electric light
plants and electric power plants to supply the inhabitants with
electric lights and power, to light the streets, highways and
public buildings, and supply power for water works and other
municipally owned works and utilities;
          (vi) Establish, construct, purchase or extend
electric transmission lines or electric power lines, to carry
electric current to the city or town, from the place the current
is obtained;

          (vii) Establish, construct, purchase or extend
propane, butane and natural gas distribution systems or lines
and to carry propane, butane and natural gas to the city or
town, from the place of origin or where the propane, butane or
natural gas is obtained;

          (viii) Erect, construct or purchase buildings for
housing its fire extinguishing equipment and for the use of its
fire department and officers in the transaction of their
official business;

          (ix) Contract for, purchase and hold lands and water
rights and erect thereon amusement halls and buildings to be
used for public parks and grounds for the use, benefit and
enjoyment of the public, and:

               (A) Enact ordinances, and make all necessary
rules and regulations for the protection, maintenance and
beautification of any park located within or without the limits
of the city or town;

               (B) Establish, purchase and hold parks on lands
outside the corporate limits, if the lands are within thirty
(30) miles of the city or town limits.

          (x) Designate, establish, construct, purchase,
extend, maintain and regulate arterial streets and highways,
highway viaducts and subways within the corporate limits of the
city or town;

          (xi) Plan, create, construct and equip liquid and
solid waste facilities. To carry out this power or to prevent
pollution or injury to the environment, any city or town may go
beyond its corporate limits and take, hold and acquire property
by purchase or otherwise, or in joint effort with cities, towns,
counties or special districts. Cities or towns may enact
ordinances and make all necessary rules and regulations for the
government and protection of liquid and solid waste disposal
facilities, and fix rates and provide for collection and
disposal;
          (xii) Establish and defray the cost of purchasing
land for, and the erection of a city library or additions to
existing city libraries, or to establish art galleries or
museums;

          (xiii) Establish and defray the cost of purchasing
land for, and the construction of swimming pools, wading pools
and other related recreational facilities;

          (xiv) Take any action necessary to acquire any needed
or useful property, or construct, maintain, repair or replace
any lawful improvement, development, project or other activity
of any kind or to participate, join or cooperate with other
governments or political subdivisions, departments or agencies
thereof, for which funds may be borrowed from the United States
of America or the state of Wyoming, or any subdivision,
department or agency of either;

          (xv) Construct, extend, improve, furnish, equip or
otherwise acquire a city or town hall complex, including
buildings and other structures for the use of city or town
officers or employees in the transaction of their official
business, for community meeting rooms, and for all other
municipal or other public purpose activities;

          (xvi) Plan, create, construct and equip a fiber optic
communications system.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 6 cases, 1978–2011 · leading case: Coulter v. City of Rawlins, 662 P.2d 888 (Wyo. 1983).
Coulter v. City of Rawlins, 662 P.2d 888 (Wyo. 1983). · cites it 8× “In addition to the above provisions, § 15-7-101, W.S. 1977 (1980 Replacement) reiterates the comprehensive powers of municipalities to construct, maintain and provide sewer and water facilities for their inhabitants.”
Tri-Cnty. Elec. Ass'n v. City of Gillette, 584 P.2d 995 (Wyo. 1978). · cites it 4× “Section 15-7-101 (a)(v), W.S.1977: “To establish, maintain and regulate electric light plants and electric power plants to supply the inhabitants with electric lights and power, to light the streets, highways and public buildings, and supply power for water works and other…”
\Laramie Citizens for Good Gov't\" v. City of Laramie", 617 P.2d 474 (Wyo. 1980). · cites it 5× “Section 15-7-101(a), W.S.1977 provides in pertinent part: “(a) In addition to all other powers provided by law, any city or town may make public improvements, for which bonds may be issued to the contractor or be sold as provided in this chapter: * % * * * H: “(ii) To establish,…”
Mountain Cement Co. v. South of Laramie Water & Sewer Dist., 2011 WY 81 (Wyo. 2011). · cites it 2× “]" In addition, the district court pointed out that, even if it were to consider $ 15-7-109, the distinction supposedly made in that section between "the construction, establishing, extending and maintaining of water works" and "supplying water" is really not all that clear,…”
Coffinberry v. Town of Thermopolis, 2008 WY 43 (Wyo. 2008). · cites it 4× “[T6] Additional relevant municipal authority is found in Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 15-7-101 (LexisNexis 2007): (a) In addition to all other powers provided by law, any city or town may make public improvements as follows for which bonds may be issued to the contractor or be sold as…”
City of Green River v. Debernardi Constr. Co., 816 P.2d 1287 (Wyo. 1991). · cites it 2× “§ 15-l-103(a)(xli) states that municipal corporations may make laws necessary to give effect to powers conferred on them by statute, and W.S. § 15-7-101(a)(iii) empowers municipalities to take action necessary to maintain water systems.”
— Wyo. Stat. § 15-7-101(a) — 1 case
\Laramie Citizens for Good Gov't\" v. City of Laramie", 617 P.2d 474 (Wyo. 1980). “Section 15-7-101(a), W.S.1977 provides in pertinent part: “(a) In addition to all other powers provided by law, any city or town may make public improvements, for which bonds may be issued to the contractor or be sold as provided in this chapter: * % * * * H: “(ii) To establish,…”
— Wyo. Stat. § 15-7-101(a)(ii) — 1 case
Coulter v. City of Rawlins, 662 P.2d 888 (Wyo. 1983). “In addition to the above provisions, § 15-7-101, W.S. 1977 (1980 Replacement) reiterates the comprehensive powers of municipalities to construct, maintain and provide sewer and water facilities for their inhabitants.”
— Wyo. Stat. § 15-7-101(a)(ii)(B) — 1 case
\Laramie Citizens for Good Gov't\" v. City of Laramie", 617 P.2d 474 (Wyo. 1980). “Section 15-7-101(a), W.S.1977 provides in pertinent part: “(a) In addition to all other powers provided by law, any city or town may make public improvements, for which bonds may be issued to the contractor or be sold as provided in this chapter: * % * * * H: “(ii) To establish,…”
— Wyo. Stat. § 15-7-101(a)(iii) — 2 cases
Coulter v. City of Rawlins, 662 P.2d 888 (Wyo. 1983). “In addition to the above provisions, § 15-7-101, W.S. 1977 (1980 Replacement) reiterates the comprehensive powers of municipalities to construct, maintain and provide sewer and water facilities for their inhabitants.”
City of Green River v. Debernardi Constr. Co., 816 P.2d 1287 (Wyo. 1991). “§ 15-l-103(a)(xli) states that municipal corporations may make laws necessary to give effect to powers conferred on them by statute, and W.S. § 15-7-101(a)(iii) empowers municipalities to take action necessary to maintain water systems.”
— Wyo. Stat. § 15-7-101(a)(ix) — 1 case
Coulter v. City of Rawlins, 662 P.2d 888 (Wyo. 1983). “In addition to the above provisions, § 15-7-101, W.S. 1977 (1980 Replacement) reiterates the comprehensive powers of municipalities to construct, maintain and provide sewer and water facilities for their inhabitants.”
— Wyo. Stat. § 15-7-101(a)(v) — 1 case
Tri-Cnty. Elec. Ass'n v. City of Gillette, 584 P.2d 995 (Wyo. 1978). “Section 15-7-101 (a)(v), W.S.1977: “To establish, maintain and regulate electric light plants and electric power plants to supply the inhabitants with electric lights and power, to light the streets, highways and public buildings, and supply power for water works and other…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.