Erin O'Doherty (Not Applicable)

1807 Beaufort St
Laramie, Wyoming 82072
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Erin was raised in a big Irish Catholic family in Baltimore full of love, music, and a passion for justice. She knew at age 10 that she wanted to be a zoologist and no one discouraged her from that pursuit. She studied creatures from tiny crustaceans in the Atlantic Ocean and Appalachian streams to mammals in Rocky Mountain forest landscapes. Erin moved to Laramie in 1991 to marry her husband James Johnson and to begin wildlife ecologist job at the USDA Forestry Sciences Lab. She and James built a passive solar house with their own hands and raised their two children there in Ward 3. After the FSL closed in 2005, Erin applied her database skills to non-profit work. She recognizes that besides providing habitat, wildlands provide important services that we all rely on like clean water and air.

Erin has served Laramie City Council since 2019. She brings a scientist perspective to analyze complex issues. As council liaison to the Environmental Advisory Committee, she worked with members to craft a carbon neutrality plan and to increase recycling options, including glass. She works with the Disability Commission members who advise council about challenges facing their community. On Finance Committee, she monitors spending and sees energy consumption is a large monthly expense.

Erin earned her B.S. and M.S. in Zoology from University of Maryland and University of Georgia, respectively and he Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Georgia.

Erin serves on the Community Services Block Grant Board where she tracks the good work by our major community agencies. Erin is a member of the Alliance for Renewable Energy, and numerous groups working for a healthy planet.

The City of Laramie is a huge organization that is responsible for many services that most people take for granted. I enjoy being a part of the decision-making process that keeps the well-oiled machine running. Because council has invested wisely in staff, maintenance, and capital projects, citizens don’t have to worry if our water is safe or if our wastewater will pollute the river. We know that when we call 911 that help will arrive. I want to preserve initiatives that I supported during my tenure on council such as the rental ordinance, the police advisory board, the installation of multiple solar projects, creation of bike paths and boulevards, and expansion of the green belt, and the carbon emissions reduction plan. I was proud when we councilors responded to pleas from the community to better serve people with mental health needs. We increased funding for Crisis Intervention training and worked with the Chief of Police to try other tools to help officers in emergencies. We also voted to provide more mental health services to employees who often face trauma in their jobs. I am proud to support the other features that make Laramie a great place to live, like our Recreation Center, our City Parks, and the Arts. I think I have been effective and courageous on council and would like the honor to continue serving our community.

Erin is concerned about every issue this complex organization must tackle, and her priorities include the following. (1) HOUSING: Council has been chipping away at various codes that drive up housing costs and Erin would continue that effort. If the City helps build initial infrastructure, to reduce the front-end costs of development, that will help. However, we should not compromise on safety; codes are there for a reason. We want people to be able to escape dangerous situations, and for first responders to be able to assist without added risks. Erin supports efforts to help first-time homeowners, like the nonprofit Land Trust. She is adamant that we must protect renters. (2) INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE: We cannot let maintenance in our infrastructure fall behind. Deferred maintenance in the past, as an effort to save money, ended up costing more in the long run. Our city staff works to keep water, wastewater, and stormwater lines flowing and streets intact, and council need to provide them with the tools and the staff to continue the work. (3) SUSTAINABILITY: the city spends about a million dollars a year on our energy bills. Erin encouraged audits and projects that reduce municipal consumption. By increasing our solar generation, we could drive that cost down and the investment would pay for itself in a decade. The landfill is a very expensive endeavor, so by increasing our recycling when there is a market, we can extend its usefulness.