Citizen Portal
Sign In

Wyoming Business Council urges local support as Legislature tees up budget cuts

Park County Board of Commissioners · February 3, 2026

Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts

Subscribe
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

The Wyoming Business Council’s Northwest regional director told Park County commissioners the agency faces possible dismantling in the state budget; she urged residents to contact legislators and outlined programs that support local childcare, broadband and business retention.

Kristen Fong, Northwest regional representative for the Wyoming Business Council, presented the council’s annual report and warned commissioners the legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee had voted to remove the council from the state budget. "As you may have heard, Joint Appropriations Committee has, voted to remove us and dismantle the business council from the state budget," Fong said.

Fong described core programs the council runs locally: challenge loans that support business succession, market‑expansion grants that help companies reach trade shows, broadband investment assistance, and community development work such as the Assessment‑to‑Action cohorts in the Big Horn Basin. She gave an example of True North Academy in Cody, which expanded using a challenge loan and absorbed seven children after a nearby childcare center closed.

Commissioners asked whether the Business Council carries federal funds or match obligations and whether programs could be rerouted if the council is dismantled; Fong said the answer depends on how the legislature restructures programs but noted some federal passthroughs already are being considered for other state agencies. "I think they've accounted for some of it in the budget bill," she said, naming possible host agencies including the Department of Workforce Services and State Lands and Investments Board.

Fong urged local residents to monitor session activity and share stories about how council programs benefit the community. She also promoted two upcoming public webinars, including an open Q&A with the council CEO.