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Baxter County’s newly formed Airport Advisory Board will hold its first meeting on March 18 at 10 a.m., County Judge Kevin Litty announced during Tuesday’s Quorum Court session.
The announcement comes approximately two months after the Quorum Court voted 8-3 to dissolve the county’s airport commission in favor of an advisory board structure, a decision that sparked considerable controversy among airport users and community members.
“Their first meeting is March 18th at 10 a.m.,” Litty told the court when asked about the new board’s schedule.
The board’s formation follows a contentious period in Baxter County Airport governance that peaked in January when the Quorum Court abolished the previous Airport Commission following months of disputes over hangar leases, legal battles, and operational disagreements.
Five members have been appointed to the advisory board: Bob Harris, Kevin Linck, Mark Bertel, James Strecker, and Kevin Crawford. The board members bring diverse aviation and business backgrounds to their new roles.
Harris, a 30-year resident and pilot, expressed his commitment to the airport during his introduction to the Quorum Court earlier this year. “I love the airport, I’m a pilot. I just want to work with everybody to try to see what we can do with the community and the other pilots,” Harris said.
Linck brings historical perspective to the board, with family ties to the facility dating back decades. “My dad ran a business at Flippin and wouldn’t allow our rental planes to come to Mountain Home because the runway was in such bad shape,” Linck said at a previous meeting, noting the significant improvements at the airport over the years. “It’s just awesome, it’s a great airport with a lot of potential.”
Bertel, CEO of Dels Corporation, emphasized the airport’s importance for regional economic development. “My goal is to help business owners get to use this airport to their benefit and to help the community get to use it because that’s what it’s there for,” Bertel previously told the court.
Crawford, a veteran flight instructor, has extensive operational experience at the facility, having previously noted he’s conducted more flight operations at the airport than “anybody else, not even close.”
The transition from commission to advisory board came after significant turmoil, including a lawsuit filed by the commission against Judge Litty that reportedly cost the airport approximately $15,000 in legal fees. Central to the dispute was a 2017 hangar lease that was approved in commission minutes but never signed by the previous county judge.
During the January Quorum Court meeting where the commission was dissolved, Justice of the Peace Dirk Waldrop expressed gratitude to the incoming advisory board members.
“This is kind of a tense time at the county right now and I’m not saying we have to prove anything, but based on some of the emails, people think we’re going to fail with this,” Waldrop said. “I thank you guys for stepping up and doing this for us.”
The vote to dissolve the commission faced strong opposition, with former Commission Chairman Stephen Vester noting he had received over 100 messages supporting the commission in the 48 hours before its dissolution. Several community members had urged the court to delay the vote to allow for more public input, with one resident describing the process as a “rush of less than 14 days, mostly in the dark with limited citizen input.”
When asked about the pending vote at that time, Vester had struck a conciliatory tone, saying, “I realize that tonight is going to be probably the last time that you see us. I’m perfectly willing to accept that, and now we can begin a new chapter in the airport.”
Judge Litty described the new advisory board as “a good group of guys” during Tuesday’s meeting.
The Baxter County Airport handles approximately 7,500 aircraft operations annually and generates roughly $5 million in revenue for the county per year, according to previous reports.
All airport advisory board meetings will be open to the public.
