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Lincoln County reviews department vehicle requests and airport development plan; residents question vehicle purchases
Summary
Department heads presented vehicle requests and an airport development plan for 20 acres of hangars; the assessor said her overall budget decreased about 1.4% but requested an additional fleet vehicle, while airport staff outlined a $950,000 paving project with a county share of about $23,125 and potential revenue from hangar leases.
Carla Wilson, a department head, presented her 2026 budget request to the Lincoln County Commission on June 24 and asked to add an eighth vehicle to the fleet while keeping an aging 2005 Dodge Dakota in limited local use. Wilson said her overall departmental budget decreased by about 1.4% due to reductions in travel, training and other line items and described state bid options and local dealer matching for vehicle purchases.
Residents at the meeting pushed back on new vehicle purchases. Speakers asked whether used vehicles or mileage reimbursement policies were considered and urged prudence in taxpayer spending. Carla said she could scale purchases if the auditor’s office procured a 7‑passenger vehicle and reiterated efforts to keep purchases local when possible.
Dave Myers, airport director, presented a multi‑year vision for the county airport, noting the county owns about 20 acres south of the field that could accommodate roughly 58 hangars and an estimated 255,000 square feet of hangar space. Myers said a previously planned $1.25 million terminal project was canceled (saving an estimated county share of ~$300,000). He described a paving estimate for development of the south 20 acres at about $950,000, with 95% expected from federal grants, 2.5% from the state and a county share around $23,125.
Myers also discussed runway light repair bids (one local bid near $19,000) and annual federal apportionments to the airport (approximately $150,000 mentioned). Commissioners praised revenue opportunities from hangar leases and emphasized careful budget line‑item control, suggesting some security costs be managed under IT for transparency.
No new appropriations were adopted at the meeting; commissioners asked staff to provide precise line‑item numbers so budget adjustments can be entered into the county system and to continue coordination between departments.
The commission moved on to other agenda items after discussion; public comment and commissioner questions highlighted taxpayer concerns about vehicle purchases and support for revenue‑oriented airport investments.
