Josephine County OKs temporary loan to fund Grants Pass Airport runway extension, 2-1

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 on July 17 to approve board resolution 2025-033 authorizing a temporary loan from the county general fund to the Grants Pass Airport to cover construction invoices for a planned 700-foot runway extension.

Airport Director Mike Crisafulli told the board the project has been planned for about a decade and that the airport has accumulated approximately $3,100,000 across 15 FAA and related grants to pay construction costs. Crisafulli said construction is scheduled to begin in mid-August with completion by October and that invoices will start in September. "98% of this project is being paid for through state and federal grants. There's no county taxpayer money going into it," he said, adding that he does not anticipate drawing more than $2,000,000 from the county's temporary line of credit because of the planned drawdown and reimbursement schedule.

Crisafulli outlined the reimbursement timeline the airport expects: an initial federal reimbursement tranche of $1,700,000 estimated to arrive in January and a later tranche in July–August of the following year tied to the FAA fiscal year. He told commissioners that the airport’s out-of-pocket match is about $51,000 (with the Oregon Department of Aviation covering roughly $91,000 of a stated $142,000 match) and that construction bids are currently open. He warned the board that delaying the project risks losing grant allocations, higher construction costs, and a possible increase in the required local match if FAA policy returns to pre‑COVID match levels.

Commissioner Barnett moved to approve the resolution; Chairman Andreas Bleck seconded. Commissioner Smith voted no, citing concerns about relying on grant funding that may not materialize and asking for more public review time. The motion carried 2 to 1.

Public comment at the meeting reflected both support for and opposition to the county stepping in before grant reimbursements arrive. Jim Goodwin, a long-time Josephine County resident, urged caution: "Wait till you get the money and then do the project," he said, calling the proposed loan "fiscal irresponsibility." Former county public-works director Rob Bridal, by contrast, praised the county's scrutiny and said the project would benefit firefighting operations and the local economy.

The board and finance staff described internal controls for any temporary advance: invoices will be routed through the project engineer and county finance before payment, the money would remain under county control, and reimbursements from federal and state grants would repay the general fund between January 2026 and mid‑2026. Finance Director Nelson confirmed the county has used similar short-term advances for other departments in emergency or time-sensitive situations.

Supporters of the runway extension emphasized emergency-response benefits, noting the airport’s existing aeromedical and firefighting operations and saying a longer runway would allow a broader array of aircraft to operate safely from Grants Pass. Opponents focused on fiscal prudence and the possibility that grant funding or federal match rates could change.

With the resolution approved, the county authorized the temporary use of general fund dollars to cover construction invoices for the runway extension project subject to the administrative controls described at the meeting. The board did not set an explicit maximum draw amount in the resolution text read at the meeting; airport staff reiterated they do not expect to draw more than $2,000,000 based on the current payment schedule.

The board moved on to other business after the vote; the airport project remains scheduled to proceed to contractor recommendation and contract approval during the county's upcoming meetings as the bid and award process continues.