START FY27 budget update shows lower county/town ops support, $6.1M capital plan

The START Board’s April 15 budget update outlines a FY27 recommended START Bus System Fund budget of $15.16 million in total sources and $16.37 million in total uses, drawing down the restricted fund balance by about $1.21 million under the town manager’s recommended scenario. The packet includes the FY27 budget tables, service/fare assumptions and a note that a “joint budget discussion” is planned for April 28. See: START Board Meeting Agenda Packet.

On the revenue side, the FY27 recommended budget assumes intergovernmental grant revenue of $11.72 million (including $5.03 million in FTA/Wyoming 5311 and $4.06 million in FTA 5339 capital for buses). Local operating contributions are projected to decline: Teton County’s operations contribution is shown dropping from $1.48 million (FY26 amended) to $1.05 million (FY27 recommended), and the lodging-tax operating transfer is shown decreasing from $1.12 million to $0.99 million.

On the spending side, the FY27 recommended budget totals $16.16 million in expenditures, including $8.00 million for transit operations and $6.12 million in capital outlay. The table shows transit administration rising to about $2.04 million and a transfers-out line of about $210,000.

If Jackson’s Town Council takes up the FY27 START budget update following the board’s April 15 action, the START packet indicates the key policy questions will be how to balance service levels and the capital plan against the projected fund-balance drawdown and changing local contribution levels.