Fremont County commissioners spent substantial time reviewing options for roughly $1.9 million that remains in the county’s economic-development fund after a sales tax ended in March. Commissioners discussed using the remaining 70% discretionary share to support transportation programs — including ambulance subsidies, air service and the Wind River Transit Authority (WRTA) — and directed staff to draft policy language and seek legal review.

Commissioner Jones presented a written proposal recommending several steps effective July 1: rescind or cancel existing memoranda of understanding that governed disbursements, place remaining funds under commission discretion and limit eligibility to categories described on the original ballot (transportation, air service, and programs that create or retain jobs or bring outside dollars). Jones said the proposal would allow the county to fund ambulance and air-service needs while municipalities and other partners pursue longer-term revenue measures.

Key figures discussed: the economic-development account balance is about $1,900,000; the county budget shows a planned transfer for the ambulance subsidy of $1,324,796 (which the record indicates is $500,000 less than an anticipated subsidy level); commissioners and staff recorded that the ambulance subsidy contractual payment is roughly in the $1.0 million range (the staff figure shown in the draft budget was approximately $1,000,008). Commissioners also noted that runway or air-service subsidies may run short mid-year and could require supplemental funding.

Options discussed included using the economic-development balance to temporarily backstop ambulance and air-service subsidies, continuing to negotiate municipal cost-sharing for ambulance service, convening mayors and tribal leaders for a work session, and studying a county EMS district funded by a property tax (two mills of an EMS district were estimated to produce around $1.3 million). County legal review and formal resolutions were the next steps; staff and legal counsel were directed to prepare draft policy/resolution language for board consideration.

Why it matters: the discussion addresses funding for core public services (ambulance and transportation) after a local tax expired. Commissioners weighed short-term use of discretionary economic-development funds against pursuing longer-term revenue through municipal agreements, a sales-tax initiative, or an EMS district.