Council members push concept for statewide per‑ticket fee to mitigate airport impacts

Council member Mahoney proposed a long‑term, statewide per‑passenger usage fee on Oct. 2 as a new approach to fund mitigation for communities affected by airport noise and pollution.

Speaking during the legislative agenda discussion, Mahoney described a fee of a few dollars per airline ticket that would be placed into a statewide account and distributed to address airport community impacts such as noise abatement, air‑quality monitoring, health‑related programs, and community capital projects. "I'm proposing a negative impact airport usage fee statewide. This would be something like $2.03, $5 per ticket of any passenger using a commercial airline or airport that is assessed into an account," Mahoney said, acknowledging he was describing a conceptual, long‑range approach rather than specific bill language.

Mahoney said part of the revenue could go to mitigation and part be distributed to impacted communities for capital projects and services. He urged broader regional buy‑in and suggested the fee could fund things such as sound‑insulation programs, additional air‑quality monitoring, and community improvements for neighborhoods that bear the brunt of aircraft traffic. He said he had discussed the idea with a state senator who expressed similar interest and asked staff to pursue a short, feasible phrase of draft language for further vetting.

City staff and the council asked the city’s legislative advocate to consult with the senator’s office and legislative staff about feasibility and to return with model language. Council members also noted the idea would require broader jurisdictional support and legal review and that it is a multiyear effort rather than an immediate fix.

Why it matters: Des Moines and neighboring cities have argued for mitigation of airport impacts for years; the usage‑fee concept would create a revenue stream paid by airline passengers rather than relying solely on state capital budgets or port programs.