By Noah Zahn
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Via- Wyoming News Exchange
CHEYENNE — On Monday, the Wyoming Department of Transportation presented its $282.8 million budget request to state lawmakers to discuss how to retain employees, maintain airports and provide equipment for state troopers.
WYDOT Director Darin Westby and his team outlined the budget of approximately $256 million, supplemented by $26.7 million in exception requests to maintain the state’s more than 6,700 miles of roads and support its commercial airports.
Crisis in the workforce
Westby opened his testimony to the Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee by sharing a phrase he adopted from Cheyenne Frontier Days in regard to employee attraction and retention, which is “recognize, retain and recruit,” or “Triple R.”
Since taking office in March 2023, Westby noted that while vacancies have dropped from 346 to approximately 240, WYDOT continues to struggle with high turnover and burnout.
“Turnover is costly; overtime is expensive; burnout is high,” Westby said. “And so, the more we can get those good bodies to fill those vacancies, the better off we’ll all be.”
This crisis is particularly acute among snowplow drivers and mechanics, Wesby said. He described the physical and emotional toll on staff following the severe winter of 2022-23, recalling the exhaustion and fatigue he saw on the drivers’ faces as he traveled across the state.
JAC co-Chairman Sen. Tim Salazar, R-Riverton, questioned why applications have dwindled. Westby said there are fewer people seeking public service jobs, noting that it is difficult to convince 21-year-olds of the long-term value of state benefits.
“I think the cost is significant financially, but it’s also at a cost of losing good people that know that they can go to their county and probably not work as hard as we’re requiring them to work, and that’s why we use the Triple R,” Westby said.
WYDOT Deputy Director Taylor Rossetti provided further evidence of the pay gap, noting that entry-level maintenance employees and troopers lag behind regional market rates by 12.3% and 27%, respectively.
Rossetti highlighted the “opportunity cost” of failing to raise wages, pointing out that training a single state trooper costs approximately $96,000.
Tasers for state troopers
A significant portion of the meeting focused on $7.4 million in exception requests for the Wyoming Highway Patrol, which are additional funds not initially included in Gov. Mark Gordon’s proposed $11.1 billion biennium budget.
The department is seeking $300,000 for Tasers, a move intended to provide troopers with an alternative force.
“The Highway Patrol, culturally, has a great respect for the sanctity of life,” WHP Administrator Tim Cameron said Monday, noting that without Tasers, troopers must often resort to physical force or impact weapons.
Lawmakers also discussed a $506,000 request for new GPS mapping equipment accompanied by a recurring $36,444 for IT services. WHP representatives testified that the current 15-year-old units are so obsolete that parts are no longer available. Rep. Ken Pendergraft, R-Sheridan, noted that during a recent major crash inside a tunnel near Rock Springs, the existing equipment failed to operate.
“This equipment should help us get to that technological level that we need to be to be more efficient,” Westby said.
Further equipment requests included ballistic helmets and face shields for $186,801 and vehicle radar systems for $360,000.
When Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, questioned the need for a Special Response Team, Cameron defended the unit, saying they provide essential security for the Capitol and the governor.
“The majority of troopers that you’ll see when the session opens are SRT members,” Cameron said.
Airport funding
WYDOT Aeronautics Administrator Shawn Burke addressed the $18.4 million request for the Capacity Purchase Agreement, which provides a financial backstop for commercial air service in five Wyoming communities. Burke noted that pilot costs for regional carriers have almost doubled since 2019, making the state support vital to maintaining flight schedules. While Gillette is expected to exit the program this year, the rising air travel rates mean the overall funding requirement remains high.
On the infrastructure side, Westby said that the agency’s “preservation-only mode” over the last two decades has made it difficult to attract new engineers.
“A mill and overlay is not nearly as impressive to design as a new road alignment,” Westby explained, suggesting that the “non-sexy” nature of maintenance work makes the agency less competitive than the private sector. He expressed a desire to get more significant projects planned to be ready for future funding.
License plates
The meeting touched on several other issues, including the upcoming redesign of Wyoming license plates and the necessity of front license plates.
While some owners of high-end cars dislike drilling holes into their vehicles, Highway Patrol officials were adamant about their utility.
“It is a tremendous benefit for us to be able to see that front license plate for … immediate identification of the vehicle that’s coming at you,” Cameron said.
As the meeting concluded, the JAC requested further data on state aircraft costs and specific salary breakdowns before making final budget recommendations.
