An intern working with City Manager Janine Jordan told the Laramie City Council on Nov. 25 that an economic impact analysis of the city’s Community Partner grant program generated an estimated $800,000–$850,000 in value added in Albany County, roughly $400,000–$450,000 in higher wages, nearly $1 million in output and about 11 jobs.

The presenter, identified in the meeting as Samuel, said he used the Bureau of Economic Analysis RIMS‑2 regional input‑output model to translate grant spending into local economic multipliers and that the study examined FY2024 awardees. He described two measurement approaches: “type A” (the city dollars directly awarded) and “type B” (city dollars plus leveraged grant funds pulled in by recipient organizations). The analysis reported higher per‑city‑dollar returns when measured against type A because that denominator excludes outside grants pulled in by recipients.

City Manager Janine Jordan said the study is the first full RIMS‑2 analysis the city has purchased and executed; previous city practice relied on simpler leverage questions. Samuel emphasized methodological limits and assumptions repeatedly during the presentation, noting the report does not measure agency effectiveness or the broader social outcomes the program supports.

Samuel said his survey used the city’s FY2024 Community Partner list (about 31 recipients) and that 28 organizations responded to the questionnaire used to break down spending by industry. He told councilors the RIMS‑2 multipliers and his Excel tool matched line‑item spending to industry categories, applied retail margins where appropriate, and estimated direct, indirect and induced economic effects. He cautioned the results are conservative because of assumptions such as counting leveraged grants as if they were received within Albany County.

Councilors welcomed the data but pressed on limitations. Councilor Lockhart asked how many agencies responded; Samuel said 28 of 31. Councilor Fried and others noted the modeled results are intentionally conservative and could understate broader benefits such as improved employment prospects or health outcomes resulting from agency services — effects Samuel said the model does not capture.

Samuel summarized his conclusion: “the community partner grant program is a positive investment for the city of Laramie,” while stressing that the study quantifies only a subset of the program’s impacts and should be used cautiously in policy decisions. Janine Jordan said staff plan to retain the RIMS‑2 subscription and that the city may use the tool again when revising application procedures ahead of the tax renewal decision in 2026.

Next steps cited during the session included potential revisions to the application process and continued staff follow‑up; no formal policy decisions or votes occurred at the Nov. 25 work session.