Airport authority asks county for up to $200,000 local match; commissioners table request to research funding sources

The Meriwether County Airport Authority requested a local match of up to $200,000 on March 24 to unlock roughly $1 million in FAA funds for apron rehabilitation. Mike Watkins, airport authority chairman, said the FAA funding would finance rehabilitation near the fuel farm and hanger area, and requested the county provide a local match not to exceed $200,000.

Commissioners and finance staff debated funding options. Finance Director Tammy Lackey and other staff explained that pulling from the ARPA-designated portion of the fund balance or reallocating departmental budgets were possible, but that the county must be mindful of single-audit thresholds tied to federal funding. Staff noted that single-audit triggers depend on the fiscal-year federal expenditure total and cited different thresholds during the discussion (packet discussion referenced both a $750,000 and a $1 million threshold in the dialogue), and said auditors estimate a single-audit would be required if federal expenditures exceed the applicable threshold in a single fiscal year; the audit could cost roughly $20,000 depending on the affected fiscal-year spending.

Given the fiscal complexity and timing, the airport authority asked to table the item to allow staff time to identify and secure the local match; the board voted to table the request to the April 13 meeting to allow the airport and county staff to identify funding sources and present options.

No matching funds were committed at the March 24 meeting; staff said they would return with options that might include ARPA/fund-balance use or departmental budget reductions and would also outline the audit implications of spending levels in the current fiscal year.