Board hears proposal to reauthorize annual appropriations to Wellsville Municipal Airport; $50,000 in 2025 budget awaits local law
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Summary
At a Committee of the Whole meeting, county attorneys presented a draft local law to authorize appropriations to the Wellsville Municipal Airport. Legislators debated economic benefit, reporting and contract requirements, and possible expiration dates. The measure will be taken up at the Ways and Means Committee on Sept. 24.
The Allegheny County Board of Legislators on Sept. 17 heard a proposed local law that would reauthorize the board to appropriate funds to the Wellsville Municipal Airport, a measure supporters say helps sustain countywide economic and emergency services while opponents questioned the return on a $50,000 county allocation.
The draft local law, presented by the county attorney, would “authorize the appropriation of monies to the Wellsville Municipal Airport, because of the beneficial impact upon industry and tourism that the Wellsville Airport has,” the county attorney said. The attorney also said the draft includes an indemnification requirement: the town and the airport would have to “indemnify Allegheny County and hold the county harmless from any and all claims.”
The local law as drafted would not legally obligate the board to appropriate money in any given year, the county attorney added: “Even though that you would pass this local law, this does not bind the board to appropriate money in any year.” The board has $50,000 in the 2025 budget earmarked for the airport; the county attorney said those funds cannot be distributed until an authorizing local law and the subsequent annual contract are in place.
Legislators pressed for additional information before any appropriation. “I think we’re just subsidizing [a] town here,” said Legislator Healy, questioning whether the airport’s economic-development case was proven. Legislator Barnes urged consideration of emergency and federal uses, noting Mercy Flight activity at the field and saying that closing the airport could trigger federal grant-related costs: “it would cost the Federal Aviation Administration would request about, somewhere in the neighborhood of $20,000,000 if we just closed it,” Barnes said.
Other legislators suggested practical conditions. The county attorney said prior appropriations included annual contracts with reporting requirements, and that the draft local law had been written to allow the board flexibility on the law’s expiration date. The attorney offered a sample expiration of Jan. 1, 2028, but said the board could set any end date, including a one-year expiration to cover only 2025.
Board members repeatedly noted that any appropriation would still require a separate annual funding request from Wellsville and that the board could approve or deny funding when a contract and report were submitted. “If they have to request it, why couldn’t part of that request be a report?” a legislator asked; the county attorney said contract terms already require annual reporting in practice.
No vote was taken. The county attorney and administration said the draft local law will be prepared for the Ways and Means Committee on Sept. 24 for possible scheduling of a public hearing and further committee review.
