UW Trustees Hear Budget Cutting Options

The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees is holding a special meeting to hear the university's response to requests for three possible budget-cutting scenarios. The meeting is scheduled Tuesday morning at the Laramie campus. The Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee has asked all state agencies to submit plans to reduce their state-funded budgets by 5 and 8 percent. Gov. Matt Mead has separately requested a 2 percent budget-reduction plan. A 2 percent cut would reduce state general fund appropriations to UW by $3.7 million a year starting in July 2012. A 5 percent cut would mean a $9.2 million annual reduction, and an 8 percent cut would total $14.7 million per year. The state Legislature meets next February to work out a new two-year spending plan.