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Commissioners question county subsidy to regional airport after auditors'review of finances
Summary
Commissioners raised concerns about Grand Forks Regional Airport Authority finances and the county's subsidy after staff presented audit figures showing large cash reserves and heavy reliance on UND for operations; one commissioner suggested raising the passenger facility charge instead of continued subsidies.
Several commissioners questioned why the county continues to subsidize the Grand Forks Regional Airport Authority after reviewing the authority's financial statements.
A commissioner highlighted figures in the airport authority's financial statements showing deposits of roughly $13.5 million and annual expenses of about $7.85 million, noting the authority could operate for more than a year without outside revenue. The commissioner said University of North Dakota operations account for about 95% of airport activity and suggested a modest passenger facility charge increase could offset a significant portion of the county's subsidy (the county's current net levy to the airport authority was cited in the packet as $146,353 for 2025).
Commissioners asked staff to consider whether continued county subsidies are appropriate and signaled they would raise the subject during the upcoming county budget process. No formal action to change the county's contribution was taken at the meeting; commissioners asked for the issue to be part of future budget discussions.
The airport discussion followed other budget and purchasing items and was presented for commissioner awareness rather than as an action item.
