County to weigh $1.25M for Elk Refuge wastewater line
Commissioners will vote June 22 on using 2022 water-quality tax money for a sewer line connecting the Elk Refuge Sewer District to Jackson's system, with monitoring and reporting conditions attached.
Teton County commissioners are set to vote June 22 on committing $1.25 million from the 2022 Water Quality Special Purpose Excise Tax (SPET) to the Elk Refuge Sewer District for a wastewater service line connecting the district to Jackson's sewer system. The draft Water Quality SPET Funding Resolution would limit the money to sales and use tax revenue as it is collected, require the district to pursue outside funding, and add a county condition that the district waive fees and guarantee connection for a possible future recreational vehicle dump station within its boundaries.
The ecological test is not the pipe alone. It is whether this removes wastewater risk near the refuge and whether the county can show groundwater and surface-water gains. A June 16 staff report says selection criteria included consistency with the Water Quality Management Plan, water-quality benefits, readiness and outside funding; the resolution would require a Teton County Engineering monitoring plan, separate accounting, and annual reports for three years after construction begins.
Background
In June 2026, Teton County committed $1,250,000 from the 2022 Water Quality SPET to the Elk Refuge Sewer District for a wastewater line connecting to Jackson's sewer system, with phased disbursement and strict oversight.
Latest: 2026-06-22 — Board of County Commissioners adopted the formal Authorizing Resolution for the 2022 Water Quality SPET Funding, committing $1,250,000 to the Elk Refuge Sewer District, subject to contingencies.
curated as of 2026-06-19
Teton County allocated $1M in SPET funds for the Elk Refuge SD North 89 Sewer project, with broader water quality improvements and a BCC meeting on July 21, 2026.
Latest: 2029-12 — Scheduled distribution of $1,000,000 SPET funds for North 89 Sewer project.
curated as of 2026-08-20
In June 2026, Teton County allocated $2.83M in 2022 Water Quality SPET funds to three water quality projects, including stormwater and wastewater improvements and a monitoring dashboard.
Latest: 2026-06-16 — Teton County Commissioners adopted a resolution allocating $2,830,000 in SPET funds to three water quality projects: $1.5M to Town of Jackson (stormwater), $1.25M to Elk Refuge Sewer District (wastewater), $80K to Trout Unlimited (monitoring dashboard).
curated as of 2026-07-21
Source Documents
| Date | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| June 22, 2026 | Water Quality SPET Funding Resolution | resolution |
| June 16, 2026 | Water Quality SPET Funding Resolution Packet | packet |