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Airport director outlines FY27 priorities: advertising push, equipment repairs and solar revenue
Summary
Airport Director Tony Rudy told the council the FY27 airport budget includes a new advertising campaign, anticipated heavy-equipment repairs (snow removal equipment), higher insurance costs and roughly $36,000/year in solar-lease revenue; some capital projects are delayed until a building plan is ready.
Tony Rudy, the airport director, and county finance staff briefed council members on the airport’s FY27 operating and capital highlights on May 12.
Rudy said the operating budget reflects an intended advertising campaign aimed at increasing public awareness of local commercial air service and supporting the existing airline-incentive program. He also told councilors the airport expects to incur significant vehicle and heavy-equipment repairs—particularly for snow-removal equipment—and has increased insurance and heavy-equipment capital line items accordingly.
"I've been wanting to do an advertising campaign for the airport for several years. We're finally kind of ready to implement this," Rudy said, explaining the revenue-side strategy tied to passenger and airline contracts. He added a recent concession agreement and a new contract with Azure Flight Support have boosted fuel flowage and landing-fee projections along with corporate hangar rent income.
On capital, staff said a previously listed $15.7 million project was postponed because the state will not obligate construction funds until the county has an engineered plan; the state has not rescinded commitment but will not "start our clock" for grant timelines until the county finalizes design. Rudy also noted a new airport solar-farm lease is generating about $36,000 in annual revenue but staff are still reconciling billing and credit flows.
Councilors asked about the solar offsets to the airport’s electric bills; Rudy said the array has been online only a few months and staff have estimates but not final net-savings figures.
No formal votes on airport appropriations occurred in the work session; staff said they would return with additional detail if councilors requested further breakdowns.
