The effort to end unconstitutional housing mitigation fees has been well-documented, but those fighting to keep this policy in place have gone virtually unnoticed.
For thirty years, Teton County has required a homeowner to pay to house someone else’s employees as a term of obtaining a building permit to build their own family’s home.
Landowners are required to give up 70% of any new development to “deed-restricted” and affordable housing.
As a result, housing mitigation fees have generated millions of dollars to subsidize housing for the employees of major corporations, for example, the Four Seasons, Whole Foods, TJ Maxx, and United Airlines.
Local developers have also learned to gain the system by getting others pay to house their local employees.
The lobbyist for Teton County, Nick Agopian, is currently paid $9,000 per month “for professional services” by the Teton County taxpayers.
Mr. Agopian’s first legislative priority is to “support local control…[including] housing mitigation.” He has lobbied against Representative John Bear’s HB141, “Fifth Amendment Preservation Act,” which would put an end to unconstitutional housing mitigation fees.
Most recently, Mr. Agopian made political donations to Senators Mike Gierau and Eric Barlow just a few months before the session began. Gierau has not formally announced he is running for re-election. Mr. Agopian has also made donations to Representative Landon Brown, Senator Tara Nethercott, and Governor Mark Gordon.
Teton County contributes $36,000 annually to the Wyoming County Commissioner’s Association. The President of the WCCA is Natalia Macker, who is an active Democrat from Teton County. Although the WCCA cannot financially contribute to political campaigns, last week the WACC produced a “legislative voting sheet” with their priorities for the current session. They are in opposition to HB141, stating that it “erodes local government authority.”
On Monday, HB 141 passed the third reading in the House. It is now waiting to be assigned to a committee in the Senate.