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Supervisors debate creation of regional aviation development fund to attract carriers to Central Wisconsin Airport
Summary
Board members discussed a proposed $500,000 regional aviation development fund (resolution 39-25) to help secure air service at Central Wisconsin Airport; questions centered on timing, funding source and risks of subsidizing carriers.
Marathon County supervisors debated a resolution to authorize funding for a regional aviation development fund for the Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA) on June 19, with proponents arguing the fund is needed now to attract carriers and opponents urging caution given competing budget priorities and the risk of subsidizing airlines.
The draft plan discussed by committees called for a $500,000 fund, with Marathon and Portage counties together contributing $250,000 and the remaining $250,000 to be sought from private or philanthropic sources. Proponents on the board and the airport board said the fund would provide a minimum revenue guarantee and cover start-up marketing costs that make airlines more likely to launch new service. Supervisor Robinson and airport-board members argued that without such a fund, carriers will be less likely to add routes and that airport viability and regional business travel depend on securing dependable service.
Opponents including Supervisor Lemmer and others raised fiscal concerns: given uncertainty about federal and state funding and possible impacts to safety-net services (Medicaid/SNAP) and human services, they questioned whether county funds should be prioritized for airline incentives before budget impacts from higher-priority social services are known. Supervisors also asked whether airlines would commit long term and whether the plan risks “privatizing profits and socializing liabilities.” The airport director and airport-board members replied that the initiative is complementary to existing air-carrier incentive programs (fee waivers and marketing payments) and that such guarantees are a standard tool used by airports to secure new service.
No final appropriation was recorded in the transcript; county staff were directed to include a potential contribution within the 2026 budget-development process and to continue outreach to potential non-county funding partners. Several supervisors said waiting until the annual budget process could forfeit a seasonal recruiting window for airlines this summer.
