The Wyoming State Library is pleased to release the final data from the Fiscal Year 2026 (July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026) Wyoming County Library Budget Survey. The annual survey has received a 100% reporting rate since FY 2012. This year’s numbers reveal a complex picture, highlighting both statewide growth and significant localized funding challenges.
The Quantitative Picture: FY26 Budget Overview
Overall, the total operating budget for Wyoming county libraries saw an increase of $1.87 million, representing a 4.04% rise in total library budgets between FY25 and FY26.
However, these statewide figures mask considerable variation at the county level:
- Significant Decreases: Nine of the 23 reporting county libraries saw a decrease in their total budgets for FY26. Some of these cuts were significant, with Carbon County reporting a 71% reduction, and Hot Springs County reporting a 33% reduction.
- Localized Growth: Conversely, some counties reported large budget increases, such as Platte County with 37%, and Converse County with 33%.
Key Themes from Library Director Comments
The survey comments offer crucial insight into the common operational challenges and strategies used by directors to navigate the current fiscal year.
1. The Impact of Property Tax Reduction
The most common theme in the FY26 survey is the direct financial impact of recent state legislation concerning property tax reductions. Many county entities explicitly attributed their reduced funding to this legislation and the resulting downturn in county revenues.
- 12 out of the 23 counties, including Albany, Goshen, Hot Springs, Lincoln, Uinta, and Washakie, all noted that the reduction in property tax revenue has significantly reduced the amount of funding available to their services.
- Sweetwater and Fremont counties noted lower levels of mineral production contributing to the downturn in revenue in addition to the property tax revenue cuts.
- Laramie, Teton, and Weston counties are concerned about the future impacts of the property tax reform.
- Teton County said, “The state legislature’s attempt at property tax reform has had a direct impact on the library’s budget and the budget of every other county department. Any further attempts at reform without backfill will have devastating effects in future years.”
- Weston County said, “[The] county is having problems with their budget then so are we. When the Sheriff’s office needs more funding, the County Attorney needs more funding, and also the fairgrounds. It makes it hard for the rest of us if they are asking for more than the original amount in the beginning.”
2. Staffing and Service Changes
While many counties worked hard to keep staffing levels intact, budget pressures led to difficult decisions, echoing the staffing struggles reported nearly a decade ago during the energy sector tightening reported in FY16. Local funding decisions and economic pressures continue to be the primary drivers of library finances.
- Several libraries reported reductions in staffing, including lay-offs, the elimination of part-time positions and benefits, or the reduction of weekly hours and levels of pay for existing staff (Albany, Big Horn, Carbon, Fremont, Lincoln, Sheridan, Sweetwater, and Weston counties).
- Cuts to operating hours (Big Horn, Carbon, Lincoln counties) and even closure of branches were necessary in some areas (Big Horn County).
3. Critical Role of External Funding and Reserves
To mitigate cuts to core services, such as collection development and programming, many libraries are increasingly relying on external sources, such as covering budget gaps through library foundation fundraising, grants, fees and fines, and community partners.
Next Steps
As Wyoming’s libraries continue to adapt to these evolving financial conditions, the decisions made at the local level about revenue, staffing, and services remain paramount. Transparency and local engagement are vital to ensuring libraries can continue to meet community needs.
For more information about Wyoming Public Libraries:
- Visit the Wyoming State Library’s statistics webpage to view the most recent five years of annual reports (also known as IMLS’s Public Library Survey) and budget survey data.
- Contact your local county library if you have specific questions about their budget, expenditures, or how they are utilizing local donations and reserves to support library services in your community.