Case Study: Converse County, WY achieves fiscal transparency and increased public trust with OpenGov

Converse County, Wyoming Navigates Boom and Bust Cycles with Fiscal Transparency through OpenGov

Converse County, Wyoming (pop. ~14,000; $45M annual budget) depends heavily on energy industries and experienced a sharp boom that boosted revenues but also strained roads, housing, schools and public safety. When commodity prices fell in 2014, revenues dropped and residents and media questioned why county leaders had built reserves instead of spending the windfall, creating a need to clearly explain budgeting across boom-and-bust cycles.

The county implemented the OpenGov Smart Government Platform to publish interactive, transaction-level dashboards and custom reports (e.g., sales tax by sector, delinquent taxes, spending by department) so citizens and journalists could see how revenues flowed and where money was spent over time. The transparency reduced public records requests, improved public understanding and support for fiscal decisions, and increased trust in county leadership.

Converse County, WY

Joel Schell

Treasurer