Portage County hears pitch for regional air‑service fund as Synergy seeks $100,000 in 2026 budget

Synergy CEO Angel Labaugh and Central Wisconsin Airport director Brian Grief told the Portage County Board the region needs a community air service development fund — structured as a minimum revenue guarantee (MRG) — to help recruit new airline service and improve connections that support business and talent attraction.

Labaugh said the fund is intended as a limited safety net, not an ongoing subsidy: "This fund is only used to help offset that cost to make sure that they meet their minimum that they need," she said, describing contracts typically lasting 12 to 24 months. She asked the board to consider a $100,000 contribution in the county's 2026 budget as part of a regional fundraising effort.

The presenters framed the MRG as a tool to address passenger leakage and high fares that push travelers to nearby airports. Grief said Central Wisconsin's catchment includes roughly 600,000 potential passengers and the community currently captures about 25 percent (about 200,000). He gave a return‑on‑investment example, saying a $500,000 investment could support one new route and yield up to $3 million in annual regional economic impact.

On legal and operational limits, Grief noted FAA policies restrict what an airport can directly offer because of federal grant rules, which is why a nonprofit administrator is proposed: "We have an approved ... incentive program that's in line with all federal regulations," he said, and outside partners can administer an MRG that the airport itself cannot. Labaugh described Synergy as the proposed fund administrator, a regional nonprofit that would accept and manage contributions and report quarterly to the county board.

Board members pressed on oversight and financial controls. In response, presenters described regular reporting and auditing practices and acknowledged risk that an airline could leave after funding ends. On administration costs, the presenters said Synergy would retain about a 5.5 percent management fee on funds spent to cover negotiation and oversight work: "Synergy will be taking 5 and a half percent of dollars spent," a presenter stated.

Labaugh said Marathon County has placed a commitment in its budget and that the regional effort is roughly halfway to an initial target the presenters described as "half $1,000,000"; she told the board that route service is targeted for 2027 if funding and negotiations progress as planned.

The board did not vote on the ask at the meeting; the proposal was discussed during the budget item for 2026 and the presentation was followed by multiple supervisory questions about durability, oversight, and fund governance. The chair indicated the Synergy ask is included in the packet for the 2026 proposed county budget and will be considered as part of the budget process.

The presentation and discussion underscore county-level choices about investing in incentives to attract commercial air service, with proponents pointing to economic and workforce benefits and supervisors seeking clarity on auditability, contract length and contingency plans if fundraising or route negotiations fail.