Airport funding re-visited
Published Thursday, February 4, 2010
JACKSON — The Northampton County Board of Commissioners have decided to revisit their decision concerning funding for Tri-County Airport.
On Wednesday, the commissioners, after learning Tri-County Airport is tax exempt, agreed to revisit their recent decision to provide $3,000 of a $6,145 funding match.
The funds are being requested by the Tri-County Airport Authority to help secure Vision 100 funds in order to extend the runway.
During the management matters portion of the meeting, County Manager Wayne Jenkins corrected himself about information he provided to the board at their last meeting.
He stated during that meeting while discussing funding for the airport, Commissioner Chester Deloatch had asked him which county received ad valorem taxes from the airport, in which, Jenkins had answered Hertford County.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Jenkins noted that the airport was tax exempt and therefore did not pay taxes to any of the three counties.
“If everyone is treated fair then let’s roll with it,” said Deloatch. “That changes my thoughts on it.”
Commission Chair Fannie Greene questioned the motion the board had made.
At their last meeting, a motion was place on the floor to provide full funding, but it was voted down by Commissioners Deloatch, Virginia Spruill and Robert Carter. The board approved another motion to allocate $3,000 of the amount requested in a 4-1 vote, with Deloatch objecting.
County Attorney Charles Vaughan said he would need to research to see how many days the board would have to wait before revisiting the failed motion.
Greene asked Vaughan and Jenkins to look into the matter.
In a later interview, Jenkins said the $6,145 is the combination of two matches that were brought before the board with the latest coming in June 2008.
In an email to the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, Bertie County Manager Zee Lamb cleared up Bertie County Commissioners’ commitment to funding the airport.
According to the board’s 2007 minutes, Lamb informed his board that the NC Department of Transportation had awarded the Tri-County Airport a grant with federal monies for $150,000, which required a 10% local match, to be split by each of the three counties the airport serves. Lamb also stated that the Tri-County Airport had been awarded a grant with State monies in the amount of $200,000, which required a 2.5 % local match, to be split by each of the three counties the airport serves. Lamb stated that the total match required from Bertie County was $6,709.34.
At that point, the airport needed a commitment from each county in order to receive the funds, but did not need the funds to be disbursed that fiscal year.
The Bertie Commissioners agreed to commit to the funding subject to other counties providing the same support.
Lamb said the Bertie County Commissioners will address the funding at their next meeting scheduled for Monday.
The Hertford County Board of Commissioners had earlier approved their share of the matching funds.
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