JACKSON, Wyo. — Mayoral and Town Council candidates addressed a packed house during a primary election forum held at Teton County Library on Thursday, July 18. Town Council candidates reflected on affordable housing, the commercial development moratorium, tourism, sustainability, transportation and more.
The moderator, League of Women Voters Jackson member Susan Dong, began the conversation by inviting Mayoral candidates Jessica Sell Chambers and Arne Jorgensen to give statements.
Sell Chambers, who was not in attendance but submitted a video, said that she is running for Mayor because she has the courage to care for the community.
“Leadership for me was calling for a moratorium in 2021 when it was needed, addressing e-bike safety before an accident happens, supporting firefighters and EMS and ignoring Council members when they say something is not possible,” Sell Chambers said.
Jorgensen, who was present, said growing up in Jackson and serving on the board of the Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust gave him a deep understanding of the community.
“I was appointed as Vice Mayor … to step in whenever the Mayor was not around,” Jorgensen said. “I have a clear vision to protect our sense of community. I enjoy listening to people.”
Town Council candidates Devon Viehman and Jason Fritts also submitted videos with prepared statements. Fritts said that the town’s most pressing issue is the housing crisis, which he calls a humanitarian crisis.
“People are having lots of trouble just living here,” he said. “The quality of life is gone for the middle class. Landlords don’t care if you end up on the street. We know so many people forced to leave this community.”
Viehman said that Jackson is screaming for change. Her priority is affordable housing. She said she also is concerned about the current Land Development Regulations (LDRs) and zoning, which she said has driven up the cost of housing.
The rest of the in-person candidates, Jesse Rauch, Scott Anderson, Perri Stern and Kevin Regan, answered questions posed by the Jackson Hole News&Guide’s Rebecca Huntington and Buckrail’s Marianne Zumberge. The Town Council hopefuls began by commenting on the role of a Councilor.
“The role of a Town Councilor is not an occupation, it is to be a voice for community,” Anderson said. As a former Town Council member from 1992 to 2006, Anderson said that he attended approximately 1,000 Town Council meetings, and his role was to always “stick to the agenda.”
Stern said a Town Council member “should be driving and steering the bus.” She also stressed that it’s important to work with the County because what happens in the county affects the town.
Regan agreed with the importance of developing a relationship between the Town and County, but he said that it’s actually the residents of Jackson who are “driving the bus.” He said the role of Town Council is to manage the budget, as well as shape LDRs, zoning and the Comprehensive Plan.
Rauch, who is currently serving on the Flat Creek watershed board and is taking a public officer training course, said that the role of Town Council is more than just being a voice.
“It’s a responsibility to make sure town is running well and that taxation serves the residents,” Rauch said.
Candidates were asked how to balance the preservation of natural resources with the community’s need for housing. All of the candidates agreed that the building moratorium was a necessary tool but a longer conversation is needed to address the future of development in Jackson. Rauch stressed that design is a priority in order to avoid ending up with cookie-cutter buildings. Anderson said that Town Council needs to look at the 2:1 workforce bonus units and how to stay away from this situation in the future.
“The moratorium is a bandaid,” Stern added. “We need to come up with a plan for what comes next … We know that the Mogul developers will be back.”
In response to transportation, parking and pathways challenges, Regan commented that he has a driver’s license but he doesn’t own a car.
“I serve on the START board,” Regan said. “We need to increase transportation options, so it’s almost or just as convenient as driving a car.”
Rauch encouraged looking to other communities, like Austin, Texas, for transportation ideas. Stern suggested that paid parking options downtown and resident parking permits might be needed, and later noted that the town was feeling the effects of “over-tourism.”
When asked about the Town’s budget, Anderson said that he does not support raising property taxes. Regan stressed that the SPET measure should be utilized, and that he “likes the idea of visitors helping to carry the water” by expanding the lodge and sales tax. Rauch said that he is not opposed to a property tax on larger (especially $20 million) properties, and supports expanding a rebate program as part of Jackson’s property tax.
This event was presented by the League of Women Voters of Wyoming, Teton County Library, the Jackson Hole News&Guide, KHOL Radio and Buckrail. A video recording of the forum is available online at TCLib.org.
