FY2027 joint budget review tees up $2.53M parks project fight

The Town Council and Teton County commissioners are set to hash out FY2027 joint department budgets, with the biggest unresolved dollars sitting in Parks and Recreation: Karns Meadow Phase 2 at $2.53 million and a $400,000 Phil Baux Park playground replacement, both items where county staff indicate the County does not support funding but the Town is pushing to proceed under the cost-sharing agreement or go it alone using Parks and Recreation fund balance Joint Meeting Minutes Joint Budgets Finalization Meeting Packet.

Staff are projecting about $8.013 million in beginning Parks and Recreation fund balance and about $5.4 million ending after planned FY27 capital (excluding the two disputed parks projects). The Town is also asking that its share of uncommitted fund balance be returned after the FY2026 audit instead of setting aside $3 million for future pool repairs. Another live dispute is the joint planning funding split: the County Administrator recommended 54% County and 46% Town, while the Town wants to stick to the 60/40 split in the funding memorandum of understanding, an $18,503 swing in who pays. This comes as both governments are separately warning about a growing multi-year budget gap, so watch whether tonight’s direction locks in ongoing costs or punts decisions into mid-year amendments.