Two years ago, Goshen County voters approved an optional 1/4 cent sales tax aimed at improving economic development.

Goshen County was the first and only Wyoming county to approve the tax, which ended June 30.

“In that way I think Goshen County is very progressive,” Goshen County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Lisa Johnson said. “The revenues have already exceeded what was projected to be collected in that sales tax fund. So that gives us more resources than what the board had originally anticipated.”

Total income from the tax as of July 1 stands at just over $800,000, while total expenditures are right around $30,000.

“Our target is to attract business investment in the county,” Johnson said. “We want to promote the business parks within the county and we want to promote the businesses that are in the county also.”

There are many strategies to economic development, she added, and helping to support local businesses and business expansion is just as important as attracting new business to the area.

Economic Development has used 1/4 cent tax funds for a number of projects since it was approved in 2006.

The largest project involved marketing, Johnson said.

According to the Economic Development newsletter, the total amount budgeted for marketing is $50,000, and the board has approved $9,755 so far.

Marketing includes funding for advertising, Web site development and maintenance.

Marketing funds were also used to help Economic Development put on five community forums and one housing forum.

“We account for every expense,” Johnson said, adding that the board must vote each time 1/4 cent tax funds are used.

Economic Development also spent $12,694 toward business development in Goshen County.

The first business project expenditures were for engineering costs, legal costs, printing and advertising for a biodiesel company that was looking at coming into the area. This project cost approximately $6,000, but the company didn’t end up coming to Goshen County, Johnson said.

The second project was for a proposal to bring the University of Wyoming - GE Energy Coal Gasification Advanced Technology Center

Economic Development spent approximately $6,500 on the proposal, which included legal and professional services, engineering and legal fees, title work, surveying, consultants, mapping and production.

The site, situated between Torrington and Lingle, was selected as one of the top three in February. The final selection, however, went to Cheyenne based on availability and cost of infrastructure.

“Unfortunately we didn’t get that one either,” Johnson said, “but I don’t think we would have made the short list for the UW project if we hadn’t invested in the research and professional development to develop the proposal.”

She said another community spent upwards of $50,000 on their proposals and never made it to the final three. The whole process, however, was good publicity for the county.

“That’s the sometimes discouraging part about economic development is that you invest a lot of time and money into something and it doesn’t always work out,” Johnson said. “You don’t get every project but if we didn’t have sales tax funds we wouldn’t have had a chance at all.”

Economic Development has also used $3,386 of the 1/4 cent tax funds for grants and matching funds, according to the newsletter.

Those funds went into a proposal for a community center at Hawk Springs. Johnson said they had to pay for an appraisal, asbestos inspection and any other expenses required to help the community with their proposal.

“They received a $300,000 grant for the project,” Johnson said. “So I guess in that regard, that was a good investment.”

 While looking for a site for the UW-GE Energy coal gasification plant, the Economic Development Board of Directors realized that the current Torrington Industrial Park, with only 20 available acres, isn’t enough space for large business development.

This prompted the board to plan a new business park to be more competitive for future projects.

The board is budgeting $640,000 for purchasing and developing a business park, Johnson said.

She said they have the option of purchasing 66 acres in the Torrington area but have yet to close on the deal.

“We know there is a need for planning for a new park so that if we do go ahead and carry on with that project then it would be used for buying land and infrastructure,” Johnson said.

She added that this project is not meant to replace the existing industrial park, just expand inventory.

“We need to be able to provide choices to business owners when they are looking at coming to or relocating within Goshen County,” Johnson said.

Even with the completion of that project, there would still be 1/4 cent tax money left over.

Johnson said the remaining $100,000 could be used in the grants and matching funds category to help support community projects outside of Torrington.

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