JACKSON, Wyo. — On Monday, June 16, the Town Council unanimously adopted the Town’s budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, which will start on July 1 and go through June 30, 2026.
Town Council adjusted Town staff’s budget recommendations during eleven special meetings held in April, May and June.
“I am glad to adopt the FY26 Budget,” Mayor Arne Jorgensen said. “This budget continues the Town’s solid work that keeps our community running. It will allow the Town to continue investing in incredible staff, to rebuild Gregory Lane and provide quality services our community depends on like clean water, community safety and consistent snow plowing.”
During the Town Council meeting, Jorgensen said that the adopted budget “projects realistic expectations” on hiring staff.
“It’s important for us to work hard to maintain core services,” Jorgensen said. “We recognized that we were burning people out at high rate, so we needed to hire more staff. … When I look back to at least 2005, we still have a low rate of increasing staff.”
Councilwoman Alyson Spery said that the investment in staff is working.
“I am encouraged … I think it’s paying the community back,” Spery said.
Councilor Kevin Regan said they all worked hard to create a compromise.
“We struck a balance between tightening things up and providing a good service,” Regan said.
Councilor Jonathan Schechter asked the community to look at the bigger picture when evaluating the Town’s deficit.
“If you look at the past number of years, we are taking in more than we have spent,” Schechter said. “I encourage us to take the longer term view. We end up doing really great things. I am happy to vote for this budget.”
According to the Town, the finalized budget will provide increased funding for the maintenance and repair of critical infrastructure, including water and sewer. Additionally, funding will support START services, the retention and recruitment of employees and allow for a reserve account for “unforeseen challenges and resilience.” Jorgensen noted the FY2026 budget will maintain the Town’s 25% reserve policy.
“We are not touching our reserves,” Jorgensen said. “We are just taking out of our checking account.”
The FY26 budget will also continue funding the following community services:
- Supply of 1,158 million gallons and treatment of 700 million gallons of water daily
- Support of lost and stray cats and dogs; last year 64 animals found homes and 100 pets were returned to their families
- Maintenance and repair of 44 miles of streets and 15 miles of sidewalks – fixing over 300 potholes and repaving 50,000 square feet of roads annually
- Response to 37 calls for police daily — 13,000 calls annually — including vehicle collisions, medical assists, alarm responses, traffic stops and driving under the influence
- Support of 213 victims of assault, domestic violence and stalking, as well as individuals facing housing challenges
Town Manager Tyler Sinclair thanked Town Council and Town staff who worked hard running numbers, providing updates and educating community members.
