Luther Propst announced Monday he is running for a third term as Teton County Commissioner.
The Democrat says he wants to continue protecting public lands, improving water quality, and building workforce housing.
“I’m pleased with the progress we have made, but there’s more work to be done,” he told KHOL.
The 67-year-old former attorney and land use planner said he’s encouraging younger candidates to run, too. So far, only fellow Commissioner Wes Gardner has announced.
Commission Chair Mark Newcomb said in January that he would not seek a fourth term but now seems less sure.
“I may still run again. There are some things on the table that I would like to be part of,” he told KHOL. That includes the region’s biggest affordable housing proposal to-date. “I am committed to seeing the development plan for northern South Park through.”
But Newcomb will have to make a decision before development plans come back before electeds. Candidates have until May 29 to formally file for office. On the town council side, incumbents Jonathan Schechter and Alyson Spery say they’re both still considering re-election.
First elected in 2018, Propst said it can take a while for progress to materialize.
“So much of our work is incremental,” he said. “In county government, it’s more like three yards in a cloud of dust rather than a Hail Mary long touchdown pass.”
Commissioners are currently diving into the annual budget process, forcing Propst to weigh various social services all vying for a limited pool of funds. Propst said the work is challenging and gratifying. It was an easy decision for him to run again.
“I love the process of governing,” he said. “It is gratifying that we’re not completely dysfunctional, like our counterparts at the federal and state level.”
Propst has been a vocal skeptic on the proposal for affordable homes in northern South Park that Newcomb and other commissioners voted for. He says he has yet to see sufficient guarantees below-market housing gets built while the free-market homes charge forward. But he said the team of local officials work well together.
“When we disagree, we recognize that we just disagree,” he said. “We don’t hold grudges against each other.”
He declined to comment on how the group dynamics might change if voters decide to go in a different direction. Two commissioners, Natalia Macker and Len Carlman, are not up for re-election.
But county leaders will work with a new administrator as Jodie Pond plans to retire.
Propst said his top priorities through campaign season include protecting state trust land along Highway 390 which he said is “congested as it is already” and “not the right place for development.”
He would also like to see a “good plan wrapped up” for the affordable housing proposed at 90 Virginian Lane, set to come back before the commission in May.
As for water quality, he said “we have a long way to go” to put $10 million of voter-approved tax revenue to use.
