GILLETTE, Wyo. — The 2024 election season is well underway, and County 17 has sent a list of questions to each candidate who has filed to run for a municipal office.
These questions are designed to give readers a better understanding of the people behind the names on the ballot. Except for minor grammar editing and clarifications, all candidate responses submitted to County 17 are republished as they are received.
Below, get to know Crystal O’Bryan, who is running for a seat on the Wright Town Council:
Who are you?
Hi, I’m Crystal O’Bryan and I am running for Wright Town Council. I grew up in Gillette and have lived in Wright for 13 years now with my 3 kids and husband. Currently, I work part-time at the library while running my nonprofit organization called Helping Hands of Wright. Helping Hands of Wright is an organization that I started to aid the community by utilizing a monthly Mobile Food Pantry, Clothing Swap 3 times a year, Back to School Bash each August, free monthly Skate nights, Basic Needs Pantry and several other smaller programs benefiting the community. Giving back to the community and aiding those in need are important values to me.
Why have you chosen to run for office and what do you hope to accomplish should you be elected?
There is an underrepresented group in the local government, lower to middle-class families. I want to make sure that those people have a voice that is heard. During my work in Helping Hands of Wright, I speak with many families of all types, learning what they want to see in this community. My desire is to bring what I am hearing to the Town Council.
How do you plan on accomplishing your goals?
My primary goal on the council is to bring the Town meetings into this century. Many of the people I have spoken with about the Town Council have no idea who is in it and what they are doing. Attending meetings isn’t an easy task for many as meetings take place during working hours. In Wright, many of the people work mine shifts or swing shifts. This makes it difficult to attend meetings, however, the Town could video those meetings and post them, like what the City of Gillette and County Commissioners do with Gillette Public Access online. By posting videos of the Town meetings, we could bring the Town Council and the residents of Wright closer together while showing transparency.
What about you, or your experiences, would make you a good steward of taxpayer dollars and a good representative of your community?
Being a good steward of taxpayer dollars means looking at what you already have and making sure that it is well taken care of before adding more to the plate. It also means being financially responsible. Running Helping Hands of Wright, I work with a board to utilize our resources and finances to maximize those we help. Before moving to Wright, I also ran my own baking business, which provided a good education in income and expenses. Both experiences will help me to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars. Being a good representative of a community means listening to a large variety of community members, old, young, single and married, taking into consideration what they want, and then devising a plan to move forward based on that input. During my nonprofit work, that is always my strategy when implementing new or old programs.
What major issues do you feel are prevalent in your community and how do you plan to address them?
A major issue I have seen in the community is the condition of some of the buildings. The Wright Library has had major structural problems for years, I feel the Town Council should be pushing the County Commissioners to repair it. The Multi-Purpose Building could also do with some updating, as it is a major resource for families in celebrating birthdays, weddings, events and training. A coat of paint and the replacement of the roller-skate lockers would go a long way to freshening up the building while also making it safer. Touring buildings owned by the municipality with the intent to update and make repairs would also show residents that the Town Council does care about its buildings along with the people using them.
