Twelve Tripartite Boards in Wyoming that Receive/Expend Federal Community Service Block Grants (CSBG)
June 21, 2024 CSBG description/update to the WSL Labor, Health & Social Services Committee by unit manager, Keith Harris, of the WY Rural and Frontier Health Unit (last legislative update was in 2021):
“The CSBG is federally funded by the U.S. Office of Community Services within the Department of Health and Human Services and is designed to assist states and local communities. It works through a network of public and private designated eligible entities to combat the causes and conditions of poverty, revitalize low income communities, and empower low income families and individuals to become fully self-sufficient.
The state of Wyoming acts as a pass-through for this grant providing funding, technical assistance and support. Ninety percent (90%) of these funds go directly to local services through 12 eligible entities, while 5% is retained for discretionary activities, and the remaining 5% for the state’s administration of the grant.
Local funding distributions are made by Tripartite Boards to ensure equal community representation. Boards consist of 1/3 of public elected local officials, 1/3 representatives of low income individuals who reside in the community served, and the last third can come from the community at large – such as from business, industry, education or law enforcement.”
The WY Department of Health (WDH) is the pass-through agency for CSBG funds. WY Boards of County Commissioners receive the funds from WDH, and then issue those funds directly(?) to the tripartite boards.
With the exception of brief legislative updates every few years, audits and accountability of CSBG funds and tripartite boards is not available to the public. With Albany County being the only exception (see page 49 here), it appears no other WY tripartite board shares detailed info on how they expend these funds and to what entities. Thus, the federal government and the WY Executive branch (WDH) bypass the legislature and Wyoming citizens, and deal directly with “eligible entities” at the local level.
The approval process for tripartite boards is unclear. It is also unclear how long these entities have held their eligible status and have been acting independently from any internal audits and accountability. Sweetwater County Tripartite Board is the only entity that provides their original approval/authority document – see their Sept. 29, 2000 Authority Letter.
All dollar amounts in the tables below are specifically CSBG funds – data sources are linked. WY Dept. of Health 2025 fiscal year CSBG funds projections can be found here.
| 1) Albany County CSBG Board of Directors | |||
| Nine person board with one administrative assistant. It appears 2 out of 9 board members are publicly elected officials: Tracy Fletcher/Chair (Albany County Treasurer); Erin O’Doherty/Vice Chair (Laramie City Council). One public meeting is announced at website. Meeting minutes are not offered at their one page website. | |||
| Albany County CSBG Board does not offer any publicly available fiscal data of CSBG funds whatsoever. Albany County Approved Budget Book does detail expended CSBG funds. | |||
| 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 |
| $266,420.71 | $239,391.33 | $233,039.57 | $182,219.17 |
| For 2025 fiscal year WY Dept. of Health projects $196,687 for Albany County CSBG Board. | |||
| 2) Campbell County CARE Board | |||
| Eight person board with a commissioner liaison and a staff liaison. Two members are listed as elected, but do not appear to be publicly elected local officials. Public meetings are announced to the public at website; agendas and meeting minutes are available. | |||
| Campbell County CARE Board does not offer any publicly available fiscal data of CSBG funds whatsoever. CSBG awards received and expended are listed in Campbell County Financial and Compliance Reports (under Audits) for each fiscal year. There are no specific details of what $$ had been expended on, by who, and to who/what. | |||
| 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 |
| $480,440.00 | $377,721.00 | $245,974.00 | $212,865.00 |
| For 2025 fiscal year WY Dept. of Health projects $232,177 for Campbell County CARE Board. | |||
| 3) Community Action of Laramie County (and Platte County) | |||
| Thirteen member board with a staff of : CEO; CFO; Social Services Program Director; Executive Assistant & Farmers Market Manager; Director of Crossroads Healthcare Clinic; Human Resources/Fiscal Assistant. It appears the only publicly elected official that is a board member is the Platte County Public County Clerk. Public meetings are not announced at website; previous meeting minutes are publicly available. | |||
| CSBG awards received and expended are listed in Community Action of Laramie County Financial Statements. There are no specific details of what CSBG $$ had been expended on, by who, and to who/what. | |||
| 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 |
| $539,104.00 | $1,036,199.00 | $923,150.00 | $616,366.00 |
| For 2025 fiscal year WY Dept. of Health projects $619,670 for Albany County and $49,289 for Platte County. | |||
| 4) Community Action Partnership of Natrona County (and Converse County) | |||
| Nine member board with no publicly elected officials. There are ten staff positions, with four showing as currently filled. Public meetings are not announced at website; Dec 2023 are the only meeting minutes the publicly offer. | |||
| Community Action Partnership of Natrona County does not offer any publicly available fiscal data of CSBG funds whatsoever. CSBG awards received and expended are listed in Natrona County Financial and Compliance Reports for each fiscal year. There are no specific details of what $$ had been expended on, by who, and to who/what. | |||
| 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 |
| $852,552.00 | $826,701.00 | $910,429.00 | $516,959.00 |
| For 2025 fiscal year WY Dept. of Health projects $613,008 for Natrona and $75,236 for Converse County. | |||
| 5) Fremont County Association of Governments (FCAG) | |||
| FCAG is a State of WY Joint Powers Board comprised of the elected Fremont County Mayors, and a County Commissioner. It is the governing board for the Wind River Transportation Authority and Fremont County Project Independence. FCAG also has 1 administrator. Public meetings are announced at website and open to the public. Meeting minutes are not offered at website. | |||
| Fremont County Association of Governments does not have any publicly available fiscal data of CSBG funds whatsoever. Fremont County Government Basic Financial Statements do not acknowledge CSBG grants at all. Fremont County Government offers only one (2024-2025) Final Budget for Fremont County Association of Governments but does not differentiate CSBG dollars from other federal grants and programs. | |||
| 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 |
| No data found | No data found | No data found | No data found |
| For 2025 fiscal year WY Dept. of Health projects $390,833 for Fremont County. | |||
| 6) High Country Behavioral Health (Lincoln and Sublette counties?) |
| This entity was mentioned by Kevin Harris at the June 21, 2024 Labor & Health Committee Meeting, but there is absolutely no information whatsoever at their website regarding a tripartite board, much less any public meeting announcements, meeting minutes or financial documentation. |
| For 2025 fiscal year WY Dept. of Health projects $63,893 for Lincoln County; $28,467 for Sublette County. |
| 7) One22 – Teton County | |||
| One22 has a staff of 21 people and a board of 12 members. It appears that only two board members are former publicly elected officials: Sara Flitner (Former Jackson Mayor) and Paul Vogelheim (Former Teton County Commissioner). Public meeting info and meeting minutes are not publicly available at website. | |||
| One22 does have annual reports that refer to government funds, but they do not specify what grants/programs they are from. Teton County government only specified CSBG funds for 2019-20. | |||
| 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 |
| No data found | No data found | No data found | $3,669.00 |
| For 2025 fiscal year WY Dept. of Health projects $45,546 for Teton County. | |||
| 8) Sheridan County Tripartite Board – Big Horn, Johnson, and Sheridan County | |||
| Nine member board with two publicly elected officials (county commissioners): Nick Siddle; Lonnie Wright. Web page says they have quarterly meetings but does not specify when and where. Meeting minutes are not apparently available. | |||
| Sheridan County Tripartite Board does not offer any publicly available fiscal data of CSBG funds whatsoever. CSBG awards received are listed in Sheridan County Audit reports for each fiscal year. There are no specific details of what $$ had been expended on, by who, and to who/what. | |||
| 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 |
| $241,552.00 | $421,613.00 | $297,895.00 | $196,544.00 |
| For 2025 fiscal year WY Dept. of Health projects $68,832 for Big Horn; $38,144 for Johnson; $163,813 for Sheridan County. | |||
| 9) Sweetwater County Tripartite Board | |||
| Nine member board with three publicly elected officials: Ron Williams (City of Green River Councilman); Jeannie Demas (City of Rock Springs Councilwoman); Robb Slaughter (Sweetwater County Commissioner). Public meeting info is announced; meeting minutes are not apparently available. | |||
| There is only one (2021) Financial and Compliance Report available at their website and only provides the amount of the CSBG award from 2021. There are no specific details of what $$ has been expended on, by who, and to who/what. | |||
| 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 |
| No data found | No data found | $161,784.00 | No data found |
| For 2025 fiscal year WY Dept. of Health projects $239,793 for Sweetwater County. | |||
| 10) Uinta County Human Services Tripartite Board | |||
| There is no board member list available, no public meetings announced, no meeting minutes available. | |||
| CSBG grants are listed in Uinta County Budget Amendments for 2021. There is no data for 2020, 2022, and 2023. There are no specific details of what $$ has been expended on, by who, and to who/what. | |||
| 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 |
| $127,811.00 | No data found | $156,999.00; $117,788.00 | No data found |
| For 2025 fiscal year WY Dept. of Health projects $116,356 for Uinta County. | |||
| 11) WYO HELP Community Action Partnership – Includes Carbon, Crook, Goshen, Niobrara, Washakie and Weston Counties | |||
| One executive director and nine member board with apparently only one publicly elected official: Shelly Duncan (Lingle Town Council). Public meetings are not publicly announced; meeting minutes are not apparently available. | |||
| WYO HELP Community Action Partnership has only one publicly available Annual Report (2019). They do have a CSBG Budget for 2024 for each above mentioned counties, which, when combined, equals $281,369.00. There is no data available for CSBG labeled funds for 2021, 2022, or 2023. | |||
| 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 |
| No data found | No data found | No data found | $74,010.00 |
| For 2025 fiscal year WY Dept. of Health projects $80,502 for Carbon; $23,131 for Crook; $85,633 for Goshen; $17,210 for Niobrara; $40,832 for Washakie; $28,933 for Weston County. | |||
| 12) Yellowstone Country Assistance Network – Hot Springs and Park Counties | |||
| There is no board member list available. CEO, Julie Dunlap, is the only person acknowledged. Public meetings are announced; no meeting minutes are apparently available. |
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| There is no financial data publicly available. They do have projected budget amounts they hope to receive in 2025. | |||
| 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 |
| No data found | No data found | No data found | No data found |
| For 2025 fiscal year WY Dept. of Health projects $30,472 for Hot Springs County; $142,032 for Park County. | |||
