Wyoming’s economic downturn has decreased the amount of money the state gives to local governments at a time when many counties were already facing local revenue losses.
Johnson County Treasurer Carla Faircloth said her county's assessed valuation is down more than anywhere else in the state. Natrona County Sheriff Gus Holbrook said he has had to cut five positions and he predicts that may increase emergency response time.
Natrona County Coroner Connie Jacobson said like most agencies, her department is learning to do more with less.
“We’re becoming more efficient,” Jacobson said. “We’re strategic, and we deliver our services in a little different way, but our quality is still the same.”
Jacobson added the full impact of the cuts will probably be two to three years into the future. Some counties have already increased fees in an effort to offset reductions in funding.
