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 Greg Schreurs, who running for a seat on the Gillette City Council as a representative of Ward 1:
Who are you?
I am Gregory (Greg) Schreurs. We moved here in 1998 after retiring from the US Air Force (1972–1992) and working as a Senior Systems Analyst for the State of South Dakota. I spent 7 years as the Director of Information Services for Campbell County, I left the County in 2005 and went into private business as a partner in K2 Technologies retiring from there in 2016. I have served on the Pioneer manor/Legacy Advisory board, the Council of Community Service Executive Board, the NE Wyoming Airport board, and recently was elected to the Senior Center Foundation board. In 2020 I was appointed to the City Council for 2 years to complete an unexpired term. I have been married to my wife Sharon for 53 years and have 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren.
Why have you chosen to run for office and what do you hope to accomplish should you be elected?
My primary reason for running is I have a deep commitment to public service: My obligation to public service started as a Boy Scout, continued with my military service and has continued here with my board service. I am running to promote honest transparency on the Council: The need for government decisions to be made publicly. The city has made much progress in this area over the last few years. We need to continue that progress. To the largest extent possible, City decisions need to be discussed and decided in public. Freedom dies in darkness. Community involvement: Being part of something bigger than me. Working to make the place we live better than we found it. And finally to make sure the constituents in Ward 1 are well represented on the Council. I have 4 main priorities if elected: keep Gillette’s public safety services among the best in the state, fund the City’s infrastructure and service to maintain the current high standards of operation, seek out and encourage new businesses to come to Gillette and encourage existing business to continue growing here, and finally, work with our local nonprofit organizations to continue providing needed service to our citizens.
How do you plan on accomplishing your goals?
I intend to work with the Mayor and other Council members to fully fund our police department, fire department, and emergency services. Assist and encourage our police and fire departments to seek national certification. Maintain the City’s utility and transportation infrastructure and services at the current high standards to attract new businesses and keep existing businesses.
What about you, or your experiences, would make you a good steward of taxpayer dollars and a good representative of your community?
I have been and will continue to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars. When serving on the boards and organizations above, I examine each spending item and seek to make each one as effective as possible. I will continue to vote to maintain the excellent quality of our city infrastructure and the high quality of our city services. The citizens of Gillette deserve nothing less.
What major issues do you feel are prevalent in your community and how do you plan to address them?
I see 3 major issues facing the City. Needed Infrastructure improvements, the impacts of our changing economy and housing for a growing community. We need to continue to maintain our utility and transportation infrastructures. As a major part of the Gillette transportation Infrastructure, the Gurley Overpass needs to be replaced. If the additional 1% tax for it fails, the City will need to find other sources of funds to do the replacement. Those funds would cause a decrease in other services. Our long-time economic driver — energy — is changing and contracting. We need to attract new businesses that complement and expand our current economic base while maintaining our existing businesses. We will need housing to support these new and growing businesses. The City must do what we can to encourage developers to come here and build that housing. My dedication to public service, fiscal education and previous nonprofit and government experience will help this City grow into the future.
