Park County Engineer Brian Edwards is proud of the state of Park County’s expansive network of roads, from asphalt highways to dirt and gravel roads. 

The commissioners agree. 

“From traveling in Montana, I’m very grateful for the roads in Park County,” Commissioner Scott Mangold said. 

He was one of three commissioners who voted to keep the Cody road and bridge crew at full strength after one member of the 12-man crew recently left the position.

The approval, opposed only by Commissioner Lloyd Thiel, was the first such request submitted by a department to the commissioners since they mulled a possible hiring freeze during work to trim the county’s budget.

The approval did come with a caveat, however: Another departure is expected next spring, and at that point, commissioners will reconsider whether to have the 20-person department — which includes eight workers in Powell — remain a worker short. 

“I’d like to get through the winter,” Cody Road and Bridge Foreman Chip Ash said. Ash added he’d be open to potentially then not filling the position that will be vacated in the spring due to a planned retirement. 

Chair Dossie Overfield said that, while it had been discussed, a hiring “freeze” was a harsh word. She said there are certain departments with only one or two people that could not operate without a replacement. 

While public works is certainly not one of those, Overfield said maintaining the roads is one of the statutory tasks the commissioners need to keep up with. 

“When looking at how good our roads are, we’ve worked hard to get there,” said Commissioner Scott Steward.

Thiel said he appreciated all the department does, but said he was comfortable with the cost of living raise approved in the new budget in large part because of the thought the county would have a hiring freeze. 

“We either have a hiring freeze or we don’t,” he said. “If you’re comfortable hiring a guy now, you should be comfortable firing him next year [if the budget needs to be cut again].”

Edwards said next spring, in the wake of another legislative session, the department will be in a better position to consider a leaner department. However, being one worker short in Cody — combined with losing a part-time driver who had handled seasonal plowing in Crandall — made it a tough time to be down.

“We have a lot going on, a lot of different projects,” he said.

An upgrade of the road that leads to the planned Wyoming State Shooting Complex is set to start in the next couple of weeks, Edwards added. “That state shooting complex is going to be a lot of work.”