Denton officials direct staff to pursue midyear airport fees increase to curb multi‑year deficit

Denton City staff recommended raising several airport fees, including a 5‑cent increase in the fuel flowage fee, to reduce projected year‑over‑year deficits at Denton Enterprise Airport, and councilmembers asked staff to bring an ordinance back on Feb. 11 for midyear implementation.

The airport presented long‑term projections showing an average deficit of about $225,000 per year over the next five years, driven mainly by declining gas‑lease revenue and rising debt‑service obligations tied to recent infrastructure projects. "We have experienced a budget deficit in the last two out of our previous five years," Airport Director Ryan Adams told the council, underscoring the fund‑balance risk if changes are not made.

Adams and outside consultant Airport Management Consulting Group (AMCG) recommended several changes after a summer fee study and public outreach. Key staff and Airport Advisory Board recommendations were: increase the fuel flowage fee from $0.17 to $0.22 per gallon (and to $0.25 per gallon for operators with their own fuel tanks), add a commercial aeronautical permit fee, adopt an airside access fee, establish a hangar wait‑list fee and raise city‑owned hangar rents by roughly 25 percent. Adams said…