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County staff flag airport and library funding gaps as priorities for longer‑term fixes
Summary
IGS Director Craig Reesbach told supervisors Nevada County’s airport is structurally short of sustainable revenues (fuel sales and CAL FIRE dependence) and the library relies heavily on Measure A (expiring 2031); staff proposed an ad‑hoc and revenue diversification plan. (350 chars)
Craig Reesbach, director of the Information & General Services Agency, briefed the Board on agency operations and said the county faces two notable mid‑term budget challenges: the airport’s unsustainable revenue model and the library’s reliance on Measure A sales‑tax funding.
Reesbach said IGS manages a diverse portfolio—information systems, facilities, libraries, an animal shelter and the Office of Emergency Services—and presented a draft agency budget just north of $38 million. He described the airport as “primarily a revenue problem,” noting jet‑fuel and fuel‑sale volatility (current year jet‑fuel sales tracking about 22% below recent estimates) and the airport’s dependence on CAL FIRE activity; when fire seasons are quiet, revenue falls.
Staff identified several near‑ and long‑term responses: short‑term measures could include modest increases to user fees and renegotiation of lease terms; medium‑ and long‑term work includes a revenue‑diversification strategy (hangar leases, development opportunities, expanded fee portfolios), and the county ad‑hoc established by supervisors will work on sustainability recommendations. Reesbach said the county may also consider a general‑fund loan to stabilize operations in the near term while longer‑term revenue solutions are developed.
On the library, IGS staff reported Measure A generates about 83% of the library budget and that sales tax revenues have plateaued while salary and facilities costs have risen. Measure A is on a schedule that will need renewal planning well before its 2031 sunset, staff said, and the county will begin stakeholder engagement on renewal strategies and operational adjustments.
Supervisors pressed staff on timing and possible rate changes. Reesbach and finance staff said fee adjustments are possible but will be part of a multi‑year package of solutions; they also noted staff are investigating a possible cost‑plan allocation error that makes the airport projection look worse than expected and expect more clarity in the coming weeks.
The briefing also covered progress at the Office of Emergency Services, which is managing grant‑funded mitigation projects and defensible‑space inspections; staff cautioned that grant availability is shifting and sustaining some programs will require new funding strategies.
