Council directs staff to prepare joint-powers proposal; general‑penny sales tax on 2028 ballot discussed

Town Manager Tyler Sinclair told councilors the item was intended to step back from department-level details and consider a strategy for joint efforts with Teton County. Sinclair summarized the 2024 joint-funding memorandum of understanding (MOU) and said staff had three alternative approaches: continue department-by-department negotiations, pursue a general‑penny sales-tax strategy to grow shared revenue, or reexamine the purpose of joint efforts to align long-term goals.

Councilors spent the bulk of the workshop debating priorities. Several members argued the town and county should attempt a coordinated push to "grow the pie" rather than continue negotiating small funding splits that produce recurring disputes. Councilor Schechter urged the council to prioritize a successful general‑penny ballot initiative in 2028 to secure a larger, stable funding stream rather than focusing only on incremental JPA adjustments.

"If we can win voter approval for the general penny of sales tax, that will mean about $14,000,000 in new revenue for the county and 12,000,000 for the town," Councilor Schechter said, urging a united message to the county to improve the community'wide case for a general tax.

After discussion, Councilor Schechter moved — and Councilor Vemann seconded — a motion directing staff to prepare a proposal for Teton County that: is generally consistent with staff report Alternative 2; establishes an overall goal of considering additional revenue; discusses placing a general penny of sales tax on the November 2028 ballot (with uses for the sixth and seventh cents to be discussed); proposes a temporary new funding split for joint efforts through fiscal year 2029 and postpones department-level JPA renegotiations until after the 2028 election; and uses a third-party facilitator to lead county discussions. The motion passed without recorded opposition.

Councilors framed the approach as prioritizing long-term revenue and partnership rather than immediate short-term gain; staff will draft the discussion document for council review and return with proposed language before a June/July joint meeting with the county.