Jackson council weighs cuts, prioritization as nonprofits, providers urge more health-and-human-services funding

Sarah Cavallaro, executive director of Teton Youth and Family Services, opened public comment at the town's May 5 special budget meeting with a plea to preserve the long-standing partnership between the town and nonprofit service providers. "The services we provide are not extras," Cavallaro said. "If the people who hold this community together cannot afford to live here, cannot access support, or cannot stay well, there will be no one to enjoy the pathways, parks, or the rec center."

Town Manager Tyler Sinclair told the council staff set a $1,500,000 target for health and human services and community initiatives for FY27 and proposed an 80/20 split—about $1.2 million for health-and-human-services programs and roughly $300,000 for community initiatives. Sinclair framed the figure as a starting point, not a firm recommendation, and presented three scenarios: full funding of all FY27 requests, flat funding at FY26 levels, and a "light prioritization" option to reduce some requests while protecting core services. "This is the beginning of a process," he said.

Multiple nonprofit leaders followed the manager's overview. Deidre Ashley, executive director for Mental Health and Recovery Services of Jackson Hole, said town support represents contracted service capacity rather than a donation, and Jessie Phillips Grama of Community Entry Services warned that state reimbursement rates (about $15/hour) leave direct-support workers paid below a living wage in Jackson. "If we cannot bridge this gap to provide a livable wage, we face the very real possibility of closing our doors," Grama said, noting CES currently provides life-sustaining care for about 35 adults with disabilities.

Councilors spent the bulk of the session debating priorities and process rather than making final allocations. Several members expressed sympathy with providers' needs and said they preferred scenario 3—targeted, prioritized reductions—over blanket cuts or full funding, while others argued for reviewing applications individually rather than applying a fixed-percentage haircut. Councilor (name withheld in the transcript) said staffwork allowed a representative starting point but added: "I don't feel comfortable taking any action today; we need more context and line-by-line review."

Teton County Director of Health Travis Bridal, invited to comment, said he intended the three scenarios as discussion starters and urged a cautious, needs-based approach: "Investing in human health is always the best way for us to invest public dollars," he said. Bridal recommended stakeholder workshops and more time to refine prioritization tools before final decisions.

A handful of councilors floated partial, transitional funding for some larger community initiatives—Central Wyoming College was singled out in conversation—with several members offering $100,000 as a placeholder for continued local support while warning future funding should not become permanent without an identified ongoing revenue source.

The council did not take a final vote on allocations at the May 5 meeting. Staff provided blank spreadsheets and asked councilors to return with scenarios for the next meetings; budget adoption remains scheduled for June 15. The dialogue signaled a preference for a measured, prioritized approach but no unanimity on exact dollar amounts or on whether to use property-tax tools to close the remaining gap.