County Scenario 3 would cut Priority 2–3 social services by 5%

Teton County’s Scenario 3 budget option for human services applies what staff call “light prioritization”: fund 100% of Priority 1 requests, fund no new requests in Priorities 2 and 3, and cut returning Priority 2–3 contracts by 5%, according to the county’s table in Scenario 3 Light Prioritization Financial Summary.

The summary shows a 2026 grand total of about $2.506 million across all priorities. In plain terms, Scenario 3 protects the programs the county says are most essential, but it squeezes the “keep-the-lights-on” middle tier—exactly the bucket that often includes workforce-stabilizing supports like childcare access, mental health, and family safety services that help workers stay housed and employed.

What’s missing here is the housing math. If the county is going to reduce recurring contracts—even “just” 5%—it should pair these scenarios with a clear estimate of downstream cost: how many households will lose rental assistance, how many clients lose case management, and what that means for evictions, shelter demand, and worker retention. Budget prioritization without household counts is how the community ends up paying more later in emergency response.