County administration presented three airport capital projects in the five‑year capital plan and outlined local shares for the next five years, prompting legislators to ask how the county would cover local obligations and how the passenger facility charge (PFC) and reserve accounts would be used.

Administration listed three projects as submitted for 2026: an Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) building (federally funded at about 95%), electric vehicle charging stations for an access road, and a passenger terminal baggage‑claim carousel. A staff summary showed a 2026 local share of about $252,009 for airport capital and projected continuing local obligations in later years.

County administration clarified that passenger facility charges and PFC account balances are expected to cover a portion of future project local shares. A county official said the PFC account balance was better than earlier thought and that more than $1 million might be available in that account. (County administration representative)

Legislators pressed for details. One legislator said the county had already funded consultant work on airport sustainability and questioned adding operating support and capital transfers without a long‑term plan. Another said the mid‑budget timing and multiple airport requests made it difficult to justify additional county commitments without clear revenue protection strategies.

Why it matters: Airport capital projects frequently combine federal grants, PFCs, and local matches. While many projects have federal dollars covering a large share, county officials must identify local funding sources for grants' local match and for enterprise operating support when administration proposes temporary outside support.

Next steps: Administration and airport staff will provide more detailed PFC accounting, local‑share schedules and a projection of debt service that includes anticipated bonds and retirements. Legislators signaled they would discuss airport operating and capital support further in scheduled follow‑up budget sessions.

Ending: The committee deferred final decisions pending follow‑up information on PFC balances and long‑term airport revenue protection measures.