SWEETWATER COUNTY – The Sweetwater County commissioners were unable to adopt its 2024-2025 budget Thursday evening due to not properly advertising the budget resolution prior to the scheduled special meeting.
“We were made aware yesterday by a constituent that although we advertised the public hearing for today’s adoption, a mistake was made in not publishing the budget summery per state statute,” Chairman Keaton West said. “In years past, this has been done via advertising the final budget resolution.”
A special meeting was set for 9 a.m. July 11 to approve the county budget, which will include a second public hearing prior to the approval.
West said the statute allows counties until the third Monday in July to adopt a budget. The county moved ahead with the public hearing that was advertised and tentatively adopt the 2024-2025 budget to ensure July payroll and expenditures were paid. A new legal advertisement of the budget summery will be published starting in the July 3 edition of the Green River Star. Wyoming statutes require municipal and county governments to advertise public notices in print newspapers. The Star received the county newspaper of record designation at the start of the year.
“I appreciate the fact that we had someone out there watching what we were doing,” Commissioner Robb Slaughter said. “It lets us know that we have people who are watching and making sure we are bidding by our statutory guidelines and in this situation, it was noticed that our budget office had failed to do this properly.”
According to budget documents, the core county departments, which include the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office, facilities department, Sweetwater County Assessor’s Office and other offices and departments, received $54.4 million in funding. Of that amount, the sheriff’s office and the Sweetwater County Detention Center take up a majority of the budget, receiving $12.9 million – $11.2 million going to salaries and benefits and the rest earmarked to fund operating costs.
Capital projects and equipment funding over $10,000 received $10.3 million in the budget, with county grant projects receiving $5.7 million in funding. Another $3.8 million was allocated to the county road and bridge department, while the Sweetwater County Attorney’s Office received $3.4 million.
The county’s component units, including the museum, library system, Southwest Counseling and the events complex, received $7 million in appropriations. The library system received $3.4 million, while the events complex received $1.9 million.
Outside agencies received $4.4 million, which includes $1.6 million to Castle Rock Hospital District for the annual ambulance service subsidy. Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport received the second-highest appropriation with $1.3 million. Both Young at Heart and Golden Hour senior centers received $205,000 in that group of allocations, while the YWCA received $219,000.
In reserves, the County has just over $44 million – $33 million listed as a general reserve and another $5 million earmarked as a strategic development reserve.Capital reserves have $2 million in its account, with another $500,000 earmarked for Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County capital reserve.
The county budget resolution can be viewed here.
