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Victim‑witness grant cut forces Park County to consider backfilling roles as state adds limited prosecutor funding
Summary
Park County’s victim‑witness grant funding dropped to zero, forcing the county attorney to ask commissioners to either fund positions locally or cut them; separately the state has committed roughly $77,345 annually in 2026–27 and 2027–28 to supplement county prosecuting staff.
Park County’s county attorney told commissioners the state has eliminated the local victim‑witness grant that helped support two coordinator positions and warned the board it must decide whether to absorb the cost locally or reduce services.
“Historically they funded 100% of those positions; now they’re gone,” County Attorney Brian Skoric said, describing a gradual taper in federal and state victim‑services funding over recent years and the more recent cut that leaves the program with no grant support. He said the program previously received about $60,000 a year in reimbursements and that the county last year covered approximately $76,000 in local funding to keep the two positions operating.
Skoric outlined two clear options: the board can continue full county funding so the county keeps two victim‑witness coordinators in Cody and Powell, or it can eliminate a position and shift duties across remaining staff. “If we cut a position, mileage and travel for the remaining worker would likely increase because one person would cover both offices,” Skoric said.
At the same meeting, Skoric also reported a separate state budget action that will increase Park County’s prosecutorial support. A footnote in the state’s budget directs roughly $77,345 in additional annual funds for Park County for fiscal years 2027 and 2028 to support the county attorney and deputy prosecutor positions; the amount is proportional to county staffing and supplements statutory state contributions to county prosecutors.
Skoric urged commissioners to review caseload and service data before deciding whether to absorb the victim‑witness positions permanently; he offered to provide grant applications and service volumes that underpin the request. Commissioners asked for the counts and operating metrics that justify the positions and noted uncertainty about future ballot or tax‑related changes that could affect long‑term sustainability.
The county attorney’s office will provide victim‑services caseload figures and a cost estimate for keeping the positions fully locally funded; the board will consider the request as it finalizes overall budget priorities.
