Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tourism Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Jackson leaders approve Travel and Tourism Board budget after debate over ambassador funding
Summary
Town and county boards approved the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board(TTB) FY26 budget as presented; an amendment to raise the ambassador services line from $550,000 to $800,000 failed at the county level after lengthy debate about reserves and emergency flexibility.
The Jackson Town Council and the Teton County Board of Commissioners approved the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board(TTB) proposed FY26 budget at a special joint meeting May 13, 2025, after a contentious discussion about whether to increase the budget line for ambassador services from $550,000 to $800,000.
The boards voted on two separate motions. The county considered an amendment to raise the ambassador services line to $800,000; that motion failed at the county 3-2. The town then approved the TTB budget as presented; the county later approved the same final budget 4-1, with one commissioner opposed.
The debate centered on competing priorities in the TTB request and the boardand commissionersconcern that reserves had been drawn down in recent years. Commissioner Collins opened the discussion by calling attention to the ambassador services line item and saying the proposed $550,000 “isnt high enough to meet the needs of our community,” citing requests from multiple applicants and the role ambassadors play on public lands. Mary Bass, chair of the Travel and Tourism Board, told the joint meeting the board had separated ambassador services into its own line in order to protect that work and that the boardafter reviewing applicationscalculated the boots-on-the-ground component of the applications at $445,400. Bass said the $550,000 line should cover the on-the-ground ambassador service and that the board could supplement from unallocated reserves if needed.
Commissioners and council members questioned whether increasing the line to $800,000 would force the board into a multiyear commitment and reduce flexibility for emergency response. Commissioner Gardner and others said they were reluctant to tie the TTBwhich manages roughly 100 contractsto a fixed, larger line item without the boardthe TTBreviewing and reallocating its internal contracts. Commissioner Karlmann, the motionmaker, argued that the total request from six applicants was about $929,024 and that the $550,000 figure left some providers short if the primary operator received a large share; he urged the boards to respond to what he characterized as an urgent need on public lands.
County discussion also focused on reserves and contingency funds. Officials said the TTB currently shows an approximate general reserve of $1.4 million and a $375,000 unallocated line in the recommended budget that the board can draw on for emergencies and midseason needs. Board members said they prefer maintaining some unallocated funds to respond quickly to unforeseen events, while commissioners pressed for more guaranteed support for ambassadors now.
A county motion to adopt the TTB budget with the amendment to raise the ambassador line to $800,000 failed on a recorded voice vote, 3-2. The town council then moved to approve the TTB budget as presented; the town vote was unanimous. The county later moved and passed a separate motion approving the TTB budget as presented; that county motion passed 4-1, with Commissioner Carmen voting no.
The TTB will review the six ambassador proposals and is scheduled to meet in early June to allocate the ambassador funding and finalize grants. Board members said they can also consider emergency requests and pull from unallocated reserves if conditions change during the summer season.
The joint boards also noted the broader context: federal staffing shortfalls for land managers and increased reliance on local communications and ambassador outreach to convey responsible-visitor messaging. Commissioners urged the TTB to prioritize boots-on-the-ground safety work and said they would consider budget amendments later in the year if the emergency conditions warrant additional funding.
Votes at a glance: County motion to amend ambassador line to $800,000: motion failed, vote tally 3 yes, 2 no (names for each yes/no not specified in the transcript). Town motion to approve TTB FY26 budget as presented: passed unanimous (vote recorded as aye). County motion to approve TTB FY26 budget as presented: passed 4-1 (Commissioner Carmen opposed).
