County, town remain $954,000 apart on splitting $11 million Parks capital tab

Teton County and the Town of Jackson will try to settle, at their October 5 joint meeting, how to divide $11,067,000 in proposed Parks Capital Infrastructure spending for fiscal 2027 through 2031. Staff have laid out five possible formulas: a census-based split (54% county/46% town, or $5,976,180 to the county), a jurisdiction-based split (45% county/55% town, or $5,022,000 to the county), the fiscal 2027 joint funding memorandum split (60% county/40% town, $6,640,200 to the county), the "final" memorandum split phased in for fiscal 2028 (62% county/38% town, $6,861,540 to the county), or a custom "other" split. Staff note the total is "highly dependent/variable on which specific projects are advanced by the joint boards." No staff recommendation is attached; the boards are asked to pick a methodology themselves. Parks and Recreation Joint Powers Agreement Review Packet

The two governments are not close. At the September 14 joint meeting, the county staked out the jurisdiction split, which would put the county on the hook for $5,022,000, while the town pushed the census split, which would shift the county's share up to $5,976,180, a gap of $954,180 over the five years depending on whose formula wins. Parks and Recreation Joint Powers Agreement Review Packet That same staff report found alignment on only two of six funding categories, leaving capital infrastructure, recreation operating, and parks core operating all still unresolved heading into Monday's session.