WYDOT limits Highway Patrol overtime and mileage to avoid budget shortfall; sheriffs warn of coverage pressures

The Wyoming Department of Transportation issued an internal order limiting paid overtime and urging troopers to use compensatory time and reduce mileage after the Wyoming Highway Patrol faced a rapidly rising overtime and mileage bill projected to exceed available fiscal-year funding.

Director Darin Westby told the committee that prior overtime and mileage spending put the patrol on a trajectory to "go over 8.5 million dollars" for the fiscal year and that leadership had to act to avoid violating budget law. He described the directive as focused on management of paid overtime (not refusing emergency response) and detailed a guideline that troopers limit weekly travel; the department indicated it would monitor weekly burn rates and consider additional steps if necessary.

Sheriff Rod Olney of Johnson County and other sheriff representatives said local agencies already fill gaps on state highways and that restrictions could increase county overtime and operational stress. "Limiting them really only hurts the local budgets," Olney said, adding that many counties have limited personnel and cannot absorb sustained additional response workloads.

Westby said the department's goal is to preserve staffing and avoid layoffs, and that some leadership positions remain vacant to save funds. Committee members asked WYDOT to clarify response thresholds and provide data on how often counties respond to trooper-assigned incidents; sheriffs urged continuing coordination while the department works to balance its budget.