Airport board approves 2026–27 budgets and amends hangar rents

The Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport Board approved its FY 2026/2027 operations, capital outlay and restricted (PFC) budgets and adjusted several airport and FBO rates at its March 17 meeting.

Budget officer Shelly Besel presented the committee-recommended rates, which included size-based increases for county hangars (16-unit from $275 to $285 monthly; 8-unit from $275 to $300) and a private hangar rate increase from $0.24 to $0.25 per square foot. The board approved an amendment proposed by Board member Bennett to raise all 24 T-hangar rents by $5 per month instead of the committee’s size-based schedule; the amended package was approved on motions and recorded as "motion carried." The budget paperwork also applied a 4.3% CPI increase to the car wash fee (to $337/month) and to the airline monthly fee (to $5,333).

The board approved the FY 2026/2027 Capital Outlay budget, which includes carryover funding for the ARFF truck (AIP056) and a security upgrade project. The restricted revenue (Passenger Facility Charge) budget and the Airport Operations budget were also approved after staff presented personnel, operations and revenue estimates, which were prepared using 2024/2025 actuals with a permitted 7% variance. Mr. Fielder moved adoption of the capital and operations budgets and Mr. Bennett seconded; each motion carried.

At the same meeting the board approved the FBO rates and charges for FY 2026/2027, applying CPI-based increases to FBO hangar rent (examples cited included a single-piston hangar rising from $300 to $312 monthly). The board also approved the FBO Operations budget.

Next procedural steps: the board will forward approved budgets to the county commission as required by county budget procedures. Motions recorded in the minutes list movers and seconders for each approval but do not include numeric vote tallies.