Town and county to revisit START cost split, with six funding models
On Nov. 2, Jackson and Teton County will review the START joint-powers agreement and walk through six ways to split the roughly $2.32 million local match for transit operations, from the current 60/40 split to a ridership-based 41/59.
Jackson and Teton County are set to review the START Joint Powers Agreement on Monday, including six different ways to split local funding for the bus system, but staff are not asking for a vote yet Regular Joint Meeting Agenda. In a briefing packet for the joint boards, staff put the fiscal 2027 START operating budget at about $9.4 million, with a combined Town and County operating “local match” of $2,324,919, then compare funding splits based on the current agreement, ridership, service hours, tax base, a hybrid model, and census shares START Board Joint Powers Agreement Review Packet. Staff’s table shows the current 60% County and 40% Town split would flip under a ridership model (41% County, 59% Town) or an hours of service model (39% County, 61% Town).
The record shows the joint boards were already grappling with START’s finances this fall. In Sept. 2026, they approved $750,000 in added revenue for START’s budget and approved $633,638 in service reductions to close a fiscal 2027 shortfall, alongside additional direction tied to long-term funding work Regular Joint Meeting Agenda Packet.
Background
The START Joint Powers Agreement, governing joint transit operations, is under review by Teton County Commissioners on November 2, 2026, focusing on updated funding splits and governance provisions as amended through 2024.
Latest: 2026-11-02 — County Commissioners scheduled to review the START JPA, focusing on funding and governance updates.
curated as of 2026-11-01
On August 31, 2026, Teton County and Jackson officials will meet to discuss the $9.3M START Bus budget for FY26, with stakeholders including the START Board, local governments, and the public.
Latest: 2026-08-31 — Special Joint Meeting scheduled at 1:30 PM to discuss and finalize the START Budget for FY26.
curated as of 2026-08-08
In FY27, County and Town approved $750,000 in new START funding (48% County, 32% Town, 20% partners) to prevent deeper service cuts and close a $1.5M budget gap.
Latest: 2026-11-02 — County and Town formally directed staff to work with TVA and business partners to secure $150,000 by December 15, 2026, to offset fare increases/service cuts.
curated as of 2026-10-29
Source Documents
| Date | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| November 2, 2026 | Regular Joint Meeting Agenda | agenda |
| November 2, 2026 | START Board Joint Powers Agreement Review Packet | packet |
| November 2, 2026 | Regular Joint Meeting Agenda Packet | packet |