JACKSON, Wyo. — Six Jackson Town Council candidates are running for the two open seats on the Town Council this election season. These candidates are sharing their experiences and priorities ahead of the August 20 primary in hopes of earning local votes.
Here’s a look at the six candidates.
Devon Viehman
Viehman told Buckrail that she ran for Town Council in 2020 and again in 2022, and wants an opportunity to have a seat at the table in order to create change.
As a Teton County Planning Commissioner, she said her knowledge and experience will allow her to hit the ground running. In 2022, she created the Community Housing Fund with the Teton Board of Realtors.
“Unlike the other candidates, I won’t have a learning curve,” Viehman said. “Cheyenne knows me — I have excellent relationships with our legislators that will benefit our town. If you want less talk, more action, I’m your councilwoman.”
Her top priority is housing affordability, which she said means revising the zoning and Land Development Regulations (LDRs).
“The moratorium was long overdue and disappointing that it took the majority of Town Council so long to pay attention to what the community is asking for,” Viehman said. “It is a good start and may fix the maximum square footage and two-for-one bonus tool issues in 120 days. However, we need more than that to fix our problems, which will require more time.”
Viehman said that environmental issues, including wildlife, water quality and conservation are all important to her.
“People tend to think you can’t support conservation and responsible development at the same time, but you absolutely can,” she said. “They depend on each other.”
Viehman will also prioritize issues facing working families, seniors and single people, supporting small business and access to affordable childcare.
“As someone who has experienced the challenges our working families face, I understand how tough it is to live and thrive in Jackson with the high cost of living,” Viehman said. “Our middle-class families are getting squeezed out. We urgently need to address this through policies which provide opportunities for families to thrive.”
Jesse Rauch
As a business consultant, Rauch said that he helps large companies run complex businesses in highly regulated markets (defense, medical devices, pharmaceutical and industrial products). Rauch said he has also supported federal, state and local government agencies in the past.
Rauch told Buckrail that his experience is the level of expertise that the Town deserves.
“I felt the slate of candidates, while all good people, were very much focused on specific issues, with relatively little experience solving complex organizational, regulatory and financial structure problems that the Town Council regularly faces,” Rauch said. “This term we are losing a couple of intelligent and level-headed voices on the Council, and I felt that the Town needed someone to help fill those shoes.”
Rauch said his priorities are to help update the LDRs and to access funding solutions to help ensure that structures are in place for Jackson to be successful and vibrant for decades to come.
Scott Anderson
As a resident of Jackson for 35 years, Anderson has served three terms on the Jackson Town Council, and said he has worked on 12 balanced budgets, the comprehensive planning process and on issues of affordable housing, infrastructure and growth.
Anderson told Buckrail that he has a good common sense background for the job of Town Councilor.
“I am running to offer my experience in local governance to help address the town’s issues,” Anderson said. “I have a good understanding of the problems the local community faces.”
Anderson said that he stayed abreast of local issues with the Town and County during his job with Jackson Hole Radio. In his other community service role, he served on the Chamber of Commerce, Historical Society and Lower Valley Energy.
He said his priorities are focusing on the Town’s budget, housing and regulations.
“The budget is a real challenge for local government and must be dealt with in a thoughtful way without making it harder on people who live here,” Anderson said. “I feel that many regulations have actually driven up housing costs in the Town and those need to be addressed.”
Jason Fritts
Fritts has lived in Jackson for over 30 years and has been actively involved in local non-profits and business, through education and music, which he said has given him a deep understanding of the community’s unique needs, challenges and aspirations.
Fritts told Buckrail that his experience on Jackson’s Equity Task Force, teaching in local schools and running his own business as a professional musician has provided him with the skills to lead with patience and kindness as a Town Council member.
His priorities, if elected, will be housing, winter parking, LDRs and small businesses.
“Currently, we are experiencing a humanitarian disaster because of our housing crisis,” Fritts said via email. “This cannot continue as business as usual. We have always had a tight rental market but in the last 10 years this has accelerated. The majority of homes in Teton County are not occupied because of second homes, and short term rentals. All the large apartment complexes are owned by Private Equity Firms, whose job is to jack up prices for their shareholders. This has opened our already-small rental market to gambling and speculation. This is called price-gauging and we turn a blind eye to it.”
Fritts will also focus on reviewing and potentially changing the Town’s LDRs.
“The current LDR’s are keeping the Town, developers and you (as a property owner) from building more housing because of set backs, green spaces, parking minimums and more,” Fritts said. “It is no longer possible for you to build a modest house in the Town of Jackson.”
Fritts also says that Jackson needs to come up with a better way to allow people to park on the street during winter. Additionally, he says that he will focus on creating an environment for small businesses to prosper.
Perri Stern
Since moving to town in 2016, Stern has worked as a home care manager at the Senior Center of Jackson Hole and as part of the Teton County Health Department’s COVID-19 response team. Stern describes herself as smart, tenacious, pragmatic, highly motivated and empathic.
“As a community organizer I have successfully mobilized community members to effect change around important issues for several years now,” she said. “I am active and informed, and regularly provide input in several forums.”
Stern told Buckrail that she is running for Town Council because she believes Jackson is at a tipping point.
“We have a seemingly endless proliferation of large hotels, luxury condominiums and short-term rentals,” Stern said. “The impact of this overdevelopment is being felt in all sectors of our community. We need a course correction. Our community deserves a thoughtful approach that permits development but prioritizes the natural resources, beauty, wildlife habitats and historic characteristics that have made Jackson so unique, but now seem to be slipping away. We need to set higher standards and have higher expectations as our community looks to the future. I want to be instrumental in charting this new course.”
Stern’s priorities if elected are responsible development, community-centeredness, fiscal responsibility and affordable housing.
“Any new development must result in minimal impact on our environment and ensure that wildlife habitat and water quality are protected for future generations,” Stern said. “We must anticipate and mitigate traffic impacts of any new development and ensure that we have the essential infrastructure to support any new projects.”
She said that Town must prioritize the preservation, restoration and repurposing of historic structures and retain their landscapes. Additionally, Stern says that Jackson needs to carefully assess all expenditures and determine how to be more efficient. She also told Buckrail that she will work to increase the availability of truly affordable homes and long-term housing opportunities.
“We need creative strategies to address the long-term housing issues in our town,” Stern said. “I will ensure that more members of our community have the opportunity to live where they work – for the long haul.”
Kevin Regan
A first-time candidate, Regan has 20 years of legal practice experience in the government, nonprofit and private sectors.
Regan describes Town Council as a team sport and said that his experience and temperament will help him work effectively with the other Council members and key partners to make good decisions.
“I am experienced with resolving complex disputes in a fair and effective manner,” he said. “I speak the language of land use and government law. I have already been working with Town and County leadership and staff on policy issues daily. I work hard to truly understand different points of view, which allows me to make balanced and reasoned decisions.”
Regan told Buckrail that he is running for Town Council because he grew up in a rural area in which bad development decisions degraded the environment and community character and he wants to keep that from happening in Jackson.
“We need to be more intentional with how our community evolves,” Regan said. “It is going to take finesse to balance the pressing housing and business needs with protecting our precious water and the environment. As a community, we need to define our collective vision. What does Jackson in the future look like? Who lives here? What services are available for residents and visitors? How does Jackson interact with other communities? If we don’t define our destination, we will get lost along the way.”
His priorities if elected are protecting clean water and the environment, including water that is safe to drink and swim in without the threat of E. coli. He also will work to provide transportation and traffic solutions, including permanent and workable service to the airport. Regan will look towards balancing economic and housing solutions, including seeing the 90 Virginian Lane development to the finish line.
