GOSHEN COUNTY – Jackie VanMark couldn’t close her wallet after she picked up $200 worth of $2 bills as a pledge to shop local this holiday season. 

Goshen Economic Development (GED) is asking shoppers to stop by their office in the 21st and Main building to convert their cash into $2 bills as part of a push from the National Main Street program, a nonprofit whose aim is to revitalize downtown areas in small cities like Torrington, to show how money circulates throughout communities, according to GED Community Development Director Sandy Hoehn.

“You don’t see a lot of $2 bills anymore, so it’s just nice to see the circulation,” Hoehn said. “Informing the community that they’re out there because someone shopped local here is cool to do.”

VanMark, a local business owner herself as a real estate salesperson through Century 21 Realty, said it’s especially important to shop local as the pandemic hits small businesses particularly hard.

“We all saw, and were probably surprised by how much the service sector and sales were part of our economy,” she said. “When they were allowed to open back up and get back to work, wow, the economy started exploding again, which is what we want. Small business is the heart of the economy.”

Hoehn said the program started last year during the holiday season, but she sent a reminder to business owners stating if they see a $2 bill, it is, in fact, real. 

The idea is to use these for Christmas gifts, which VanMark did, but she said she plans to get more $2 bills to do her everyday shopping, too.

“My sisters and I have decided we’re going to buy everything we can, all of our Christmas presents locally,” VanMark said. “This little community has everything we need and we need to support the local businesses who work hard to bring those things for us.”

Goshen County’s quarter cent sales tax, which funds community projects through process program grants, has brought in more revenue throughout the pandemic as residents stay local or shop on Amazon for their goods, according to Goshen County Economic Development CEO Lisa Miller. 

Sales tax receipts from May, June, July, August and September all show increases in revenue from the previous year, Miller said. 

“While other counties/communities around the state of Wyoming are seeing a decrease in sales tax receipts, Goshen County residents and businesses continue supporting one another,” Miller wrote in an email to The Telegram.

In June, sales tax receipts were at $45,264, up 20% from June 2019. In July, sales tax receipts were at $50,271, up $10,000 from July 2019. In September, sales tax receipts indicating $43,370 show revenue increased from both September 2018 and 2019, according to GED data.

“A lot of people understand how much our businesses give back to our community, but there’s people that don’t understand,” Hoehn said. “They’re the first businesses to get hit up for any of your donations for your kids fundraisers at school. They put so much back into our community, and just imagine if that business wasn’t there.”