CSN seeks $197,500 in FY27 town/county funds for 24/7 crisis response

Community Safety Network (CSN) is requesting $197,500 in FY27 public funding — $110,000 from Teton County and $87,500 from the Town of Jackson — to help cover 24/7 crisis advocacy, emergency shelter, transitional housing support, and legal advocacy for domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking survivors. The request is split across two priority areas: $107,500 for “Crisis Services” and $90,000 for “Violence, Abuse & Neglect,” according to the county staff report. See: Community Safety Network Funding Request Staff Report.

CSN says the request represents about 12% of its operating budget and comes as federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding has been cut — a reported 15% reduction annually since 2022 — while demand has risen (CSN cites a 30%+ increase in need over the same period and a 20% increase in clients served over three years). That’s the core fiscal question for local governments: how much of that gap should property-tax-supported local funding backfill, and for how long, if outside revenue stays unstable.

On measurement, CSN reports strong service-delivery outputs for July 1, 2025–Feb. 28, 2026: 178 clients served, 115 helpline contacts, 1,920 emergency shelter bednights and 3,021 transitional-housing bednights, plus 132 safety plans and 11 protection orders. The outcome measures cited — like “% who report feeling safer” — are appropriate for a confidential crisis setting, but they’re also self-reported and voluntary, which can skew high. If the town and county are going to treat this as ongoing core public-safety spending, commissioners and councilors should ask for a clear, consistent year-over-year dashboard (and a plan for what happens if VOCA cuts deepen).