Candidates for Jackson Town Council were invited to attend the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce’s Candidates Forum on Thursday.
The event, which was held at Snow King, sought to showcase viewpoints on a number of subjects concerning the Jackson business community.
Challengers Arne Jorgensen, Zach Padilla, Jonathan Schechter and Judd Grossman, and incumbent Don Frank answered questions from some of the nearly 90 people in attendance.
Subjects included housing mitigation, parking, Snow King Mountain, and downtown zoning.
Jorgensen said that he supports different approaches to housing including development mitigation, private fundraising, and increased density.
Frank said he supports improving the town ski hill. He said that, ”The antagonism I sense in this notion that making snow king a modern and successful ski are somehow unsavory.”
Grossman said commercial mitigation rates should be as high as possible – he supports the private sector paying for their own housing.
Schechter noted that he supported the lodging tax for the funds that it made available to the local community and said he would worry about how those funds were replaced should voters turn down the tax vote.
Padilla said that paid parking around the Town Square could increase sales tax and could be adjusted, “if it’s working expand it, if not stop it”
The event will be repeated with candidates for Teton County Commission on Friday.
Jessica Chambers did not attend the forum.
