Benton County commissioners approve $32,000 cap to pursue two airport land purchases

Benton County commissioners voted in June to authorize the mayor to pursue purchases of land adjacent to the Benton County Airport, with an amendment limiting the county's offer to $32,000 per parcel.

The authorization, advanced after an amendment approved by the commission, directs the county to seek purchase agreements for two parcels identified in the airport layout plan and return to the commission for approval of any final purchase price before signing a contract.

The county mayor, Mark Ward, said the appropriation for land near the airport has appeared in budgets since 2019 and that negotiations with owners have been ongoing. "This money was in the budget'...it has been since 2019," Mayor Mark Ward said during debate. He added that no contract had been signed and that the resolution brought a negotiated offer for commissioners to consider.

Rita Regan, the airport manager, presented the county's airport layout plan (ALP) created in 2019. Regan described the ALP's brown-shaded area as the proposed apron expansion and the blue line as the proposed property boundary; she identified the two parcels before the commission as the Higdon parcel and the Deaton parcel and said the plan envisions future corporate or T-hangar development. "This is the airport layout plan. This is the apron or ramp'...the brown is the proposed apron expansion," Regan said.

Commissioners and the airport manager discussed why the county would buy the parcels now. Supporters said the purchases would square up property lines around existing airport infrastructure and preserve options for apron or hangar development in the future. Commissioner comments included concerns about losing the opportunity if the county deferred: "If we back out on this one, who knows what's going to happen in the future if the property will ever be available to the county again," one commissioner said.

Opponents and skeptics at the dais pressed for clarity about the budget line and parcel details. Commissioner Preston said he could not find a clear appropriation listed in the budget for either parcel and asked the mayor and budget chair to show where the funds were earmarked. The mayor and staff stated there is capital-account funding already carried forward for airport property acquisition, but several commissioners said the resolution lacked specifics about acreage and precise contract amounts.

Regan said acquiring the parcels aligns with the ALP and cited an active hangar wait list: she reported 17 people on the waiting list and noted additional callers who did not provide names. She described private-public partnership (P3) opportunities in which third parties build hangars on airport property under ground leases.

Commissioner discussion also touched on environmental review and grant timing for apron expansion. Regan said environmental review would be required before expansion work and that grant funding and project timing would be coordinated with FAA and state aeronautics programs.

The commission approved an amendment that removed a fixed dollar figure from the mayor's authority and instead required the mayor to negotiate and return with a resolution for approval; after that amendment failed to pass, the commission passed the amendment that set a $32,000 limit and then voted on the resolution as amended.

The vote to move forward with the amended resolution was put to the commission and carried.

Background: the Benton County airport ALP was prepared in 2019 and adopted as the county's planning document for airport growth. Regan said the ALP must be updated every 10 years and that the ALP guides FAA and state investment decisions. Regan also described grant windows and a reduced local-share requirement that can affect when apron or other projects are pursued.

Looking ahead, commissioners asked staff to return with parcel descriptions and final negotiated terms before any contract is executed.