Dear editor:

The Cody Country Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to “advocate for the business community, promote economic prosperity, and celebrate achievements across Wyoming’s western region.” As advocates for our business community and economic prosperity, we strongly support economic development within Park County and throughout Wyoming.

Since 1998, Wyoming’s chief economic development agency has been the Wyoming Business Council (WBC). The WBC serves as a centralized, statewide resource for communities, entrepreneurs, and existing businesses seeking to grow and compete in an increasingly complex economic landscape. Through business attraction and expansion support, community development tools, and programs that help unlock private investment, the WBC plays a critical role in ensuring Wyoming communities remain vibrant, resilient, and capable of retaining and attracting talent — particularly younger residents who are essential to the state’s long-term economic future.

Wyoming has a long and well-earned reputation as a national leader in fostering a pro-business environment. The state was the first to enact laws permitting limited liability companies (LLCs), the first to recognize decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), and the first to develop a state-issued stable coin. These milestones reflect Wyoming’s commitment to innovation, economic freedom, and pragmatic leadership, demonstrating that the state consistently punches above its weight in economic policy.

It is therefore concerning that, in advance of the 2026 budget session, the Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee has proposed eliminating funding for and even dissolving the Wyoming Business Council, without a clear or viable plan to replace its statewide economic development functions.

The Cody Country Chamber of Commerce respectfully urges lawmakers to reject this proposal. Eliminating the WBC would place Wyoming at a significant competitive disadvantage relative to other states.

Wyoming would be unique in abolishing its economic development agency. Every other state maintains dedicated economic development structures because the private sector alone cannot replicate the statewide coordination, strategic outreach, workforce alignment, and infrastructure support that agencies like the WBC provide. These functions are inherently collective and statewide in nature, and they cannot be efficiently or effectively replaced by fragmented local or private efforts.

Claims that economic development constitutes “corporate welfare” fundamentally misunderstand the purpose and function of the Wyoming Business Council. Economic development should not be about subsidizing individual corporations or picking winners and losers. Rather, it is about building the conditions necessary for broad-based private investment: infrastructure readiness, workforce development, community capacity, and access to capital. The WBC’s work benefits local entrepreneurs, small businesses, rural communities, and existing Wyoming employers. Eliminating economic development efforts does not reduce government involvement in the economy; it merely cedes strategic ground to other states that actively compete for jobs, talent, and investment.

Support for economic growth and community development in Wyoming is tangible and widespread. While the chamber recognizes that there are opportunities to improve the structure and performance of the WBC, elimination is not the solution. Constructive evaluation, increased accountability, clear performance benchmarks, and meaningful community feedback can strengthen the agency and improve outcomes without sacrificing the strategic advantage it provides. Abolishing the WBC would leave a void in Wyoming’s economic infrastructure that neither local governments nor private actors are prepared to fill and would send a damaging signal to prospective investors about Wyoming’s commitment to long-term economic strategy.

The Cody Country Chamber of Commerce firmly believes that the benefits provided by the Wyoming Business Council across all 23 counties far outweigh concerns about its current form. Rather than dismantling this critical institution, the chamber calls on Wyoming’s leaders to invest in improving it — refining its mission, increasing transparency and accountability, and ensuring it remains an effective partner for communities and businesses statewide.

Jennifer Thoma

Executive director

Cody Country Chamber of Commerce