Delta County board ratifies airport manager terms, ties $5,000 raise to Part 139 training

The Delta County Board of Commissioners on April 24 ratified negotiated terms for the county’s airport manager position, approving an $80,000 starting salary and a $5,000 increase tied to completion of FAA Part 139 training and timing conditions.

The board approved the contract amendment and ratification by roll call after discussion of operational tasks the incoming manager will inherit, including a scheduled FAA inspection in June, a water-rescue triennial exercise planned for September, and an unresolved passenger facility charge (PFC) audit that the Federal Aviation Administration has flagged.

Board Chair (by motion) presented the negotiated package for ratification. Under the approved terms, the employee would begin at $80,000, with the annual salary increasing to $85,000 contingent on (a) completion of the FAA Part 139 course (the board recorded that the training is scheduled for May) and (b) timing tied to either the employee’s notice and county budget timing (the board discussed an October 1, 2025, effective budget date as the preferred date for the increase).

Why it matters: the vote converts the interim airport manager role into a permanent appointment with compensation explicitly tied to aviation-specific training that the FAA…