Jackson's costs are growing $1.1 million a year faster than its revenue

The services families use every day, like snowplows, police and fire calls, water, and patched streets, are getting more expensive faster than Jackson's income is growing. A Town staff analysis going to the Town Council on Tuesday, Oct. 27, projects that yearly costs will grow about $2.6 million while revenue grows about $1.5 million. That leaves a $1.1 million gap every year October 27 packet. Staff say this imbalance is draining the General Fund (the Town's main operating account), and they warn the fund will drop below its 25% reserve target in 2 to 4 years. The packet calls staff pay "the root cause" of the recent growth. Salaries rose after a 2021 salary study and a 2023 pay policy aimed at keeping workers in an expensive town. The General Fund also added an average of 2.67 positions a year from 2022 to 2025. Meanwhile, sales tax, about 75% of Town revenue, has fallen back to normal growth after the post-COVID tourism jump. The draft resolution adds that the Town "answers more calls for service for Firefighters and Police than ever."

Council started working on this problem at its 2025 retreat and has held workshops since September 2025. At the February 19 workshop, staff made no recommendation and asked Council to keep building the plan February 19 packet. The packet also shows the gap hits the County too: it adopted similar raises and pays part of the costs of departments the two governments share.