As many hard-working citizens of Wyoming know, our progressive state and local government leaders have financially failed us.
In response to these failures, I have decided that the citizens of our state need to be educated on the numbers which govern our daily lives.
The numbers I will be using are federal, state and local government statistics. Among the sources I use:
· United States Census
· Bureau of Economic Analysis
· State of Wyoming
o Department of Revenue
o Department of Audit
o Department of Administration and Information (Wyoming Economic Anlaysis Division)
o Department of Workforce Services
o State Auditor
I prefer to use ‘their’ numbers when discussing this topic.
Using ‘their’ numbers further indicts what our current governor and local officials have done to your pocketbooks.
In coming days, weeks and months, I will be posting articles on my Facebook and Instagram pages. I also hope to include my articles in local newspapers who are interested in extending the real truth of Wyoming’s state and local government financials.
In today’s first ever article, I focus on basic statistics that highlight what Governor Gordon and local counties have done with their financials since Governor Gordon took office in 2019. These statistics cover fiscal years 2019-2024.
As you review these government statistics, please know that Wyoming’s population has remained fairly stagnant over the last 6 years.
· The same 587,000 people are having to fund the exponential increases in state and government revenues mentioned below – the same people are funding higher taxes
· Wyoming has about 40% of its population living on fixed income
As you review these numbers, do you think ~40% living on fixed income can afford/sustain these government statistics?
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN FROM YOU OVER THE LAST 6 YEARS
· 65% increase in the state’s revenue
o How many Wyoming households have seen their household income increase 65% over the last 6 years?
· 30% increase in sales taxes
o The same 587,000 people have paid 30% more in sales taxes in FY24 than they did in FY19
· The state over-collected $7.5 billion in revenue than it spent from FY19-FY24
o State of Wyoming COLLECTED $48.5 billion in revenue
o State of Wyoming SPENT $41 billion in expenditures
o Over-collected $7.5 billion
o Yet the governor tells us that the state (and local governments) are under-funded
o Does a $7.5 billion over-collection in revenues sound like the state is under-funded?
State and local governments have collected $87 billion in revenue
o $87 billion = $598,216 for a family of four
o How many Wyoming families of four have seen $87 billion spent on them?
State and local governments have $39 billion stored in their cash reserve and investment accounts
o $39 billion = $266,262 for a Wyoming family of four
o How many Wyoming families of four wished they had $266,262 in their personal savings accounts?
· From FY19-FY24, state and local governments have added $10.9 billion to their cash reserve and investment accounts
o $10.9 billion = $74,942 for a Wyoming family of four
o How many Wyoming families of four wished they had $74,942 in their personal savings accounts?
RESIDENTIAL property taxes have increased 73% from FY19-FY24
o RESIDENTIAL property taxes are (by far) the largest tax paid by Wyoming residents
Wyoming’s 23 counties:
o Revenues up 42%
o Revenues have been $1.3 billion higher than expenses – Wyoming’s counties have ‘over-collected’ $1.3 billion more revenue than they have needed to fund their operations
§ The current governor and county commissioners keep saying that counties are ‘under-funded’
§ Yet those same 23 counties collected $1.3 billion too much revenue over the last 6 years
§ Does that sound to you like counties are ‘under-funded’
o Cash reserves and investments for Wyoming’s 23 counties are at $2.5 billion
§ If Wyoming’s 23 counties have $2.5 billion in their cash reserves and investments, how can they say they are ‘under-funded?’
o Wyoming’s 23 counties only spent $1.8 billion in FY24; however, there are over $2.5 billion in their cash reserves
§ Wyoming’s counties have about 17 months worth of cash reserves in their bank account – they could run their counties for 17 months before having to bring in another dollar of tax revenue
§ How many Wyoming families of four have 17 months worth of savings in their account to run their household before they have to go start a job?
· Government is the #1 industry in Wyoming (% of GDP)
o 15.7% of Wyoming ‘funds’ the government
o Government is larger than mining and tourism
o But Governor Gordon says his government is ‘effective and efficient’
· Government is the #1 employer in Wyoming (25% of all employees in Wyoming work for the government)
o Nearly 13,000 people in Wyoming work for the state of Wyoming
HOW ARE WYOMING FAMILIES OF FOUR DOING UNDER GOVERNOR GORDON?
· Real GDP (from FY19-FY24)
o United States 13.4%
o Wyoming 3.1%
o Wyoming’s real GDP has been 10.3% LESS than the United States real GDP over the last 6 years
· Real Inflation (from FY19-FY24)
o United States 23%
o Wyoming 30%
o Wyoming’s real inflation has been 7% HIGHER than the United States real inflation over the last 6 years
· Wyoming Median Household Income is 8% BELOW the United States median household income
To summarize Wyoming:
· State and local government are flush with cash – are they really underfunded?!?!
o 65% increase in state revenue
o 42% increase in county revenue
o 73% increase in residential property taxes
o 30% increase in sales taxes
o $39 billion in cash reserves and investments
o Government is the #1 industry
o Government is the #1 employer (nearly 13,000 work for the state alone)
· Wyoming family of four
o GDP below United States
o Inflation above United States
o Median household income below United States
Remember what I said at the beginning of this article…the same 587,000 people and the ~40% living on fixed income are the ones bearing the brunt of these economic burdens.
I hope you found this inaugural article interesting and informative. Please share with your family and friends and please link to ‘Wyoming by the Numbers’ on Facebook and Instagram.
I look forward to bringing you more ‘Wyoming by the Numbers’ in the future.