2024 Local Issues

These are three of the local issues that the Teton County GOP will be monitoring as we work to find real solutions to the problems facing Teton County families.

• Housing

• Property Taxes

• Conservation and Stewardship

Our community is at its best when we work together to find solutions for today’s challenges. The Teton County Republican Party is committed to improving all community members’ quality of life. As we look to the 2024 elections and beyond, we are charting a path forward where people from all political backgrounds - Republicans, Democrats, and Independents - work together on solutions that improve our quality of life while stewarding the natural environment around us.

Housing

Guided by our values of fiscal responsibility & private sector solutions, we are championing regulatory reforms that make it easier for working people and families to build and grow in Teton County. Teton County’s housing regulations infringe on property rights and shut down the working class’s ability to live in our community. While the goal of many of these regulations was to slow growth, the result is only the ultra-wealthy can afford to build in Teton County.

The regulatory and legal fighting around Northern South Park, and the steady drum of “this is too much,” prove the ineffectiveness of a one-party solution.

Our strategic approach for Housing:

It starts with a clear acknowledgement of what is not working and a commitment to building homes, respecting private property, and reducing costs by removing overly burdensome restrictions on housing development in Teton County.

Property Taxes

Property taxes are driving out seniors and others on fixed incomes, and burdening working people by driving up home prices. We believe in adequately funding the government infrastructure that supports quality of life for our community. We also need to exercise fiscal responsibility at the local government level.

Addressing runaway property tax costs is complex, because we want good schools, law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, and roads - all the things our taxes support.

While these things are important, the current tax situation is destroying the community we love by pricing out locals. We oppose any increase in County or Town sales or property taxes.

Our strategic approach for Property Taxes:

We need to continue finding innovative solutions that bring immediate, long-term relief to seniors, working people, and those on a fixed income. The Wyoming Legislature took major steps this session, but Teton County needs more.

Conservation and Stewardship

Some of the most influential and impactful conservationists are Republicans. We are proud to continue this tradition of stewardship and conservation. However, we are not afraid to speak out when conservation is used as a cover for “no growth” efforts, or when our local government is overreaching and violating private property rights.

Our strategic approach for Water Quality:

• We need to pursue public-private solutions to our water quality issues. From the Westbank to Hoback to Flat Creek, we must work together to address the water quality issues impacting our community.

•  As housing development progresses, we want to find ways to protect both the environment and private property rights. Too often, local officials use conservation buzzwords to kill projects, not because there is a real threat to wildlife or habitat, but as part of a “no growth” agenda.

• We will challenge our elected officials to use an evidence-based approach backed by real outcomes. Private property regulations at the local level are not improving or protecting the quality of our wildlife or wild space - they are simply another restriction of our rights.

Our community needs real solutions to its challenges. These include the high cost of living, exorbitant housing prices (rent and ownership), ever-increasing property taxes, and declining water quality.

Collaboration and transparency will bring Teton County the best solutions. No one political party or individual has all the answers. The political gamesmanship we see at the state and federal levels is not serving our community, and working people suffer the consequences of this dysfunction.

A better future for our community begins with listening to each other, identifying the issues that unite us, and working together to find solutions that reflect our community values.

We want your feedback and insights on these issues. What actions do you want to see in our community? What is your vision for the future of Teton County? We are working together to define success and create wins for the whole community.