COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County Board of Commissioners tabled until their next meeting a $30,000 allocation request Tuesday from the Branch County Memorial Airport for the rest of 2017 so they could review contingency funding.
The request came after a meeting County Administrator Bud Norman had with airport officials two weeks ago.
The recession forced the county to reduce its allocation to the airport by 44 percent and it has not increased since that time.
Norman said even with the $30,000, the airport will have to make some budget cuts just to get through the rest of the year. It would also leave the county with just $55,000 for other contingencies.
Branch County Airport Board Chair Joseph Best said they were set back financially when they had to pay $80,000 over two years to clear a number of trees.
The trees were encroaching the runways which caused the airport to be downgraded from their General Utility Rating, thus they lost state and federal funds.
Best said the airport was an underfunded asset.
The airport is reviewing revenue generating options but they take time to develop.
As for future funding, the airport is requesting yearly increases of about $11,000 in the county allocations between 2018 and 2020 and an additional $70,000 between ’18 and ’20 for the construction of new runways. Those matters will be addressed during work on future budgets.
