*Important to note: money donated after signing this petition via Change.org does not go to our cause, it goes to their site. Instead, if you'd like to donate, please do so HERE*

Now and in the year to come, our community will need to rely on social service organizations like WIC, One22, Public Health, Hole Food Rescue, and others at an increasing rate. Our prospective 2021 budget gives the Sheriff’s Department an extreme priority, while these other essential organizations are left with meager
funds to conduct their operations. It is unacceptable that most organizations will see large cuts while the Sheriff’s Department will see none.

In light of this reality, we are counting on Teton County residents to speak up and demand a diversion of the county budget: away from policing and toward sustainable and nourishing social programming. Sign this petition to let Mayor Muldoon and the Teton County Commissioners know that you urge them to: 
1) Significantly cut the Sheriff’s Department’s $8 million budget
2) Advocate for a meaningful reallocation of Teton County’s expenditures: away from policing, and towards social programs and resources that support housing, jobs, education, health care, childcare, and other critical community needs.

The police are not going to feed us when we’re hungry. They are not going to house us when we can no longer pay our rent. They are not going to protect us from domestic violence, and in fact frequently perpetrate it themselves. The residents of Teton County are tired of our tax dollars being used to fund a bloated, overstaffed police department while organizations that prioritize public good are fighting for budgetary scraps.

While not a new concept, this topic is currently at the center of conversations across the country. Multiple cities (Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York) have already taken steps to restructure and reallocate financial resources of their police departments, and more cities are likely to follow suit in the weeks, months, and years to come. A different future is possible. Do not let our county be held hostage by a police department that has too long held sway over everything else.

INSTAGRAM: @actnowjh
EMAIL: actnowjh@riseup.net