Earl Malbus, Merrill Field airport manager, told the Assembly Infrastructure, Enterprise and Utility Oversight Committee on July 29 that Merrill Field will propose rate increases in the 2026 municipal budget to eliminate an anticipated shortfall and restore rates that were not raised during and after the pandemic.

Malbus said land lease rates at Merrill Field were held at 24 cents per square foot but would have been about 29 cents per square foot if they had continued to rise with CPI. He said the airport needs roughly $400,000 a year in fund balance for federal grant matching and that the proposed increases—targeting daily transient parking, aircraft tie‑downs and long‑term vehicle parking—would close the projected 2026 shortfall if combined with manager‑controlled fee adjustments.

Malbus identified the advisory commission (the Merrill Field Advisory Commission, or MAC) as having reviewed the proposal; he said a MAC subcommittee plans to forward a resolution in support. Deputy manager Amy Garcia participated in the briefing and provided the rate tables shown to the committee.

Malbus told the committee the recommended changes would raise tie‑down customers by roughly $10 per month (about an 11 percent increase in the item discussed) and that, over ten years, the proposed step would still be within historical per‑year averages. He said the airport also plans to include additional steps in 2027 and that a full airport master plan and sustainability study—forthcoming via RFP—will inform longer‑term adjustments and ensure rates align regionally.

Committee member Erin Baldende asked how Merrill Field rates compare with other municipal airports. Malbus said statewide comparisons are complicated because many large state‑run airports keep artificially low rates; among the 25 municipally sponsored airports, he said Merrill Field’s land‑lease and tie‑down rates remain competitive and that Merrill Field also provides services and central location advantages.

Malbus said the airport will propose a manager‑controlled 10 percent increase across other fees and will bring formal rate changes through the assembly as part of the 2026 budget process. He also said Merrill Field plans to issue an RFP for an airport master plan and sustainability study to support future rate decisions.

Ending: The committee received the briefing for budget planning. Staff asked that the assembly consider the rate adjustments during the 2026 budget process; MAC indicated it intends to deliver a supporting resolution.