Wyoming Governor Eyes Budget Cuts Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon's office says he has instructed all directors of state agencies to identify areas where they can make immediate budget cuts.
"While we all battle the impacts of the spread of COVID-19, we also need to prepare in the best way possible for inevitable financial impacts on the State," Gordon said in a statement Wednesday. "It is imperative that spending slow while we continue to learn more about the full extent of this historic pandemic and economic decline."
Specifically, according to the statement, Gordon has told state agencies to institute position freezes, halt general fund contracts exceeding $100,000, and implement a rigorous review of major maintenance spending.
The cuts will continue through the end of June, which concludes the current budget year, and into the next two-year budget.
Gordon also directed each state agency to re-examine their entire budget to "adjust spending in relation to revenue and review department priorities" listed with the agency's 2021-2022 budget.
Gordon said the executive branch has been preparing for program reductions and that the state can't adjust spending through across-the-board reductions.
Wyoming is set to receive a significant amount of federal funding through the recent legislation passed by Congress, but those funds must be spent on COVID-19 response rather than "backfill[ing] revenue declines."