CASPER – The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Wyoming is supporting Governor Dave Freudenthal’s $266 million budget request for school construction and major maintenance for the 2011-12 biennium.

ABC of Wyoming understands the need of the State to cut budgets, considering slimming state revenue. The Governor’s request addresses this need by trimming $27 million from the School Facilities Commission’s initial budget request, and cutting the school construction and major maintenance budget by nearly 40% ($180 million) compared to the previous biennium.  Despite these cuts, the Governor’s reduced budget will still satisfy current school construction and maintenance; keeping pace with Wyoming’s continued increasing student enrollment, and, to some extent, helps address the massive amount of deferred maintenance in Wyoming’s K-12 facilities.

Wyoming’s building industry has spent the past several years increasing capacity to be able to keep up with the rising public and private demands for construction.  ABC of Wyoming is encouraging the state to take advantage of reduced labor and material costs resulting from a softer market. Additionally, school capital construction has become increasingly important to Wyoming’s building contractors to be able to retain employees in the face of worsening economic conditions.

“Simply put, school construction is a legitimate economic stimulus for Wyoming,” says ABC of Wyoming President, Josh Carnahan, “It provides immediate stimulus for the communities in which schools are built, and long-term stimulus throughout the state by keeping our workers working.  The dollars many construction folks earn are spent over and over again right here in Wyoming, this recirculation of funds will help Wyoming better weather the economic storm.”

ABC of Wyoming is a statewide association of 128 Merit-Shop contractors and businesses that provide materials, supplies and services to the construction industry.  ABC of Wyoming members work throughout the state and most are involved in large scale commercial and public building construction projects.

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