Town, county to weigh 56/44 split for Parks and Rec funding

Jackson and Teton County will consider a different way to split Parks and Recreation costs, including a “jurisdictional cost of service” model that would put 56% on the Town and 44% on the County, instead of the current FY2026 43/57 split. Staff says the analysis is meant to line up who pays with where parks work actually happens, and it lays out side-by-side comparisons with a population-based split and other options in the Joint Powers Agreement review packet Parks and Recreation Joint Powers Agreement Review Packet.

If the boards lean toward the 56/44 approach, watch for the hard follow-up question, does the same logic apply to capital projects, or do you treat facilities differently depending on where they sit on the map. Staff flags that a jurisdiction-based capital split would swing year to year based on which projects make the Capital Improvement Plan, and notes there is no staff recommendation yet, meaning electeds will need to pick a direction before staff can draft a revised agreement.