Governor Mead reviews 2015 revenues with local officials

Wyoming’s Governor, Matt Mead, was traveling the state earlier this week with the elected officials from Wyoming Girl’s State, visiting with various county and town officials and made a brief stop in Thermopolis.

Speaking with the County Commissioners and assistant to Thermopolis’ Mayor, Fred Crosby, Mead said the revenue expected this year paints a not-so-pretty picture.

The revenue anticipation report will come out the end of October and with coal production being suppressed on a federal level and the prices of oil and natural gas down, “we’re living on borrowed time,” Mead said.

The governor said the state is actually about $60 million ahead right now, but anticipates losing about $15 million a month in the coming year.

“We can stay where we are right now (with budget disbursements),” Mead said, “but there won’t be any exception requests. Nothing extra.”

The group discussed the state’s rainy day fund, controlled by the legislature.

The questions were what the rainy day fund is for and when are we going to use it? What should we use it for? If not now, when?

The legislature refused to dip into the rainy day fund last session, anticipating a greater need this year, but Mead is concerned they still may not loosen the purse strings.

“I’m going to ask for robust amounts for local governments,” Mead said, “but it's not going to be easy.”

During last year’s legislative session, Mead asked for $25 million and was granted just $8 million. There were record savings in the permanent fund, up 55%, and the rainy day fund doubled.

According to Mead, the University of Wyoming takes a huge chunk.

“I support the university,” Mead said, “but they’re getting a huge piece of the pie. I hear criticism all across the state about it.”

Last year, the university received $8 million to cover half the cost of a swimming pool. There was just $8 million divided between all the municipalities in the state. U.W. has proposed a $190 million budget this year.

What each town and county receives is dependent upon a strangely vague set of criteria with some municipalities and counties receiving much larger disbursements than others, creating animosity between entities.

Hot Springs County always ranks low on the distribution list and we’re 23 this year. Last year, the county received just $43,000 of the $8 million distributed.

“As things get tighter it's probably going to get worse, and that’s not good,” Crosby said.

Mead said the outlook for natural gas volumes changing any time soon doesn’t seem likely and the coal forecast is difficult to figure, mostly due to federal regulations.

The governor said last year the legislature wasn’t too receptive to passing out funds from the rainy day fund, but this year, he’s not going to let them go without doing something.

“I don’t see how they can say it’s not raining,” he said.

The group also talked about the upcoming determination on whether or not the Sage Grouse will be listed as an endangered species. The word should come down from the federal level the end of September.

Mead said his work with the Western Governor’s Association has given him insight into the current endangered species listing qualifications and is looking at suggested changes to those criteria.

“When we have proven they are back in population they are still on endangered lists,” he said, referring to all animals currently listed.

The governor said the wolf situation is one that really bothers him, their management, hunting status and so forth.

“It should be up to us,” Mead said. “We need to appeal the federal decision.”