State funding for smaller airports at risk

Attorneys question turbine report
Updated 18 min. ago
Ferguson attempts suicide after being found guilty on all 32 counts
Breaking 9:29 p.m.
Longtime Springfield schools secretary to retire after 44 years
8:14 p.m.
NASA images to be unveiled at Urbana University
6:32 p.m.
Local woman wins $50,000 in lottery
3:33 p.m.
> More headlines

By John Nolan, Staff Writer Updated 8:28 PM Wednesday, June 10, 2009

State funds for inspections and runway improvements at Ohio’s smaller public airports, including county airports, are at risk as a result of the state’s worsening shortfall for the two-year budget period that begins July 1.

The Ohio House’s proposed general revenue budget had allocated $1.2 million for that category in each year of the two-year budget. But the Senate’s version of the budget deleted all of it, which will leave it to a legislative conference committee to work out the differences. State government revenue collections are falling far short of expectations, because of the economic downturn.

“The House budget was a billion dollars short when we received it,” state Sen. John Carey, R-Wellston, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said Wednesday, June 10. “We had to find ways to go through it and make up the deficit.”

In Montgomery County, Moraine Airpark and Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport are eligible to receive money from the fund. Wright Brothers Airport, owned by the city of Dayton, also receives federal funding, city aviation director Iftikhar Ahmad said.

Carey said he would be willing to consider trying to restore some of the local airport money. But state lawmakers expect to receive even worse, revised budget projections on Thursday. It is difficult to predict whether any budget cuts could be restored, when deeper cuts may be required, state Rep. Vernon Sykes, D-Akron, chairman of the House Finance Committee, said Wednesday in Columbus.

Don Rauch , president of the Clinton County Airport Authority which operates the county’s airport, said he is concerned. The money is used to resurface runways and taxiways and remove obstructions such as nearby trees, he said.

Rauch said he wants aviation to get “as much as we can, realizing that there is a budget crisis.”

The Senate’s version of the budget left some money for investment in rail and transit projects, said Scott Varner, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation. The department will look into working with legislators to allocate some of the rail and transit money for aviation projects, Varner said.

The general revenue budget is smaller than the department’s separate $6 billion budget funded by federal dollars and the state gasoline tax, Varner said. Legislators approved that budget in April.

Federal economic-stimulus money also has funded improvements at smaller Ohio airports, including the Findlay and Ohio University airports, Varner said.

Staff writer William Hershey contributed to this report.

Share this article

ADD COMMENT

Comments feed

This article misses one very important point. General Aviation contributes more than $20 million annually to the state's general fund, and receives back a little less than $3 million dollars annually. The contribution comes from registration fees and aviation fuel taxes charged to general aviation aircraft owners. The state is not subsidizing general aviation in Ohio. We more than pay our own way.

Don Smith
3:20 PM, 6/11/2009

REPORT ABUSE

Aviation is not just for the rich and famous. Angels with Wings fly children and adults to cancer treatment facilities that they otherwise would not be able to do when life sustaining medicines and care are there. Let's not forget that we are Americans and this is one of the great freedoms that we can enjoy and also help people in return. We need funding from our great government to help keep our airstrips up to standards. Aviation is good for all of our souls.

Captain R.L. Cole
2:31 PM, 6/11/2009

REPORT ABUSE

People who fly are not necessarily rich. Most of the people I fly with are middle class like me, teachers, computer programmers, contractors. Most middle class people could fly if they chose to, and budgeted for it.

If someone told you they owned a nice RV, would you consider them rich? Because owning an RV can involve similar costs to flying, yet RV ownership is considered a middle class activity.

Pilot
2:31 PM, 6/11/2009

REPORT ABUSE

seriously...
How many times have you flown on an airline?
Every commercial pilot I ever knew (been in aviation for 52 yrs)learned to fly at a small airport.

How many times have you used FedEx or UPS?
Many 'feeder' & 'overflow' operators for both use small airports as their bases.

You sound very young & somewhat short-sighted

Mac
2:25 PM, 6/11/2009

REPORT ABUSE

Why don't you fill me in William? All I know is that hobbyists and people lucky/rich enough to own a plane use those airports. How is it benefiting me? Besides keeping some land open as greenspace so more sprawl cannot go forth!

seriously....
1:36 PM, 6/11/2009

REPORT ABUSE

There are 4 additional comments

SHOW ALL

We welcome your comments. Please remember this is a public forum and behave appropriately. Your comments must conform to our visitor's agreement.