Cash stash — Weston County Commissioners review county’s $12.4M in investments
Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
Weston County has over $12 million in various investment accounts, according to recent information provided to the News Letter Journal by Weston County Treasurer Susie Overman, after a discussion with the Board of Weston County Commissioners on May 6.
While the amount of money being discussed by the commissioners was not openly revealed during the meeting, the News Letter Journal requested the information shared with the board.
According to a response from Overman, Weston County has $12,418,724.63 in several different investment accounts and banks across the county.
“The following is the investment information for Weston County that you have requested. Please keep in mind that 90%-95% of these monies are encumbered or allocated to several different areas of the County and are not available to be spent elsewhere,” Overman said in an email. “That being said there is only 5%-10% left for the County to be able to operate on.”
According to the report, at First Northern Bank (formerly First State Bank), Weston County has $3,290,994.78 in a time deposit-open account, $7,994,157.72 in money markets, $219,808.59 in Wyoming Class Investments and $5,344.47 in the general fund warrant account.
“Warrant Account is an account that pays the vouchers that are produced by the Weston County Clerk,” Overman explained in her email. “When the warrants are produced by the clerk, the main general fund account transfers the dollar amount of the vouchers to the warrant account.”
At FirsTier Bank in Upton, Weston County has $579,284.31 in a certificate of deposit account. At Pinnacle Bank, the county has $219,489.20 in savings and $109,645.56 in a certificate of deposit account.
During the commissioners meeting, Commissioner Marty Ertman asked Overman what the difference was between a CD and a money market account.
“I don’t really know. This way we get interest monthly, instead of when it matures,” Overman said, adding that the county receives 4% interest on the funds.
She noted that she also has the ability to access that money at any time, instead of when the CD matures — current county CDs mature in November. According to Overman, the county could technically access these funds but that doing so could carry a penalty.
“We’re so rich,” County Clerk Becky Hadlock said while reviewing the information.
Overman responded that “the other day” Hadlock said the county didn’t have any money while a discussion was held over the budget for the upcoming year.
“I didn’t see this stuff,” Hadlock responded. To which, Overman said this money is not to be spent.
To close the discussion, Ertman said that the commissioners needed to know the stability of the county’s financial situation and that “kind of helped us a little better.”
As for when the county will use these funds, when funds are funneled into reserves and if the county has a standard for how much money is in investments, that varies according to the board.
On May 20 during the commission meeting, Chairman Nathan Todd said that when that money will be used depends on what it is earmarked for. He also said that how much the county has in reserves depends.
“Paulette (Thompson) wanted two years of county operation,” Todd said, noting that the county currently has six to eight months.
As for putting money into reserves, Ertman said those decisions are made during the budget process.
Commission clips
Notes from the May 6, 2025, meeting of the Weston County Commissioners
The board approved a resolution rescinding a previous fee schedule resolution for public records requests from 2017.
The board discussed potential memorandums of understanding with Crook County for a verbal agreement to maintain portions of road for the other county; with the dispatch joint powers board for a generator purchased through a grant written by Gilbert Nelson, with the Weston County Emergency Management Coordinator; and with the Weston County Fair Board, regarding which entity is responsible for what financially.
The board appointed Caleb Carter to the Mallo Board, Eric Kregel to the predator board, Tom Bruce to the Child Support Authority Board and Taylor Tavegia, Clay Branscom and Scott Sewell to the Weston County Weed and Pest Board.
Both Nelson and Weston County Treasurer Susie Overman discussed the need for better video coverage of the counters where transactions take place in the courthouse, following an undisclosed issue.
Commission Marty Ertman requested that the survey of Old Highway 85 and easements, the Search and Rescue agreement for the use of a building at the Weston County Fairgrounds and scheduling budget workshops be added to the next agenda.