Log In


Reset Password
Opinion Editorial Cartoons Op-Ed Editorials Letters to the Editor

Paying for airport question looms

Most people who utilize the Durango-La Plata County Airport would probably agree that improvements are needed. As a La Plata County resident and taxpayer, I have followed the presentations and discussions about a new airport. Much time has been spent at the open houses and city council/county commissioners meetings about the building options, but too little on how to pay for them.

Funding seems to immediately focus on paying with increased property taxes. Except for a recent Herald article stating that the county commissioners have indicated there could be a spring vote to raise property taxes for road and bridge improvements, nothing was mentioned about this at the open houses and city/county meeting. If such a vote were to pass, it is unlikely taxpayers would vote to raise their taxes again in November or anytime soon for airport construction.

The issuance of bonds to pay for airport improvements using local user fees, aka: a passenger facility charge, to service the debt would be the fairest way. Only those flyers from within the county and areas elsewhere would pay.

But even if Congress raises the user fee from its 15-year-old obsolete limit to a suggested $8 level, I have learned from a reliable source that the new fee level would not be enough.

If there is no realistic financial solution at this time, perhaps we should wait a little longer, especially since the current airport – while inconvenient, especially the parking – still essentially works. County residents should attend the upcoming airport meetings March 3 and 23 and present hard questions to our commissioners, the Jviation consultants and members of the airport board.

Anthony R. Palmer

Durango



Reader Comments