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The County Judge has placed on the Quorum Court agenda, an ordinance to abolish the Airport Commission and replace it with a powerless “Advisory Board”. Placed on the agenda with no public notice and only 3 business days before the meeting, no reasons for this action have been provided.
The consequences of abolishing the airport commission are not clear, as none of the other 89 public-use airports in the state is known to operate this way. What is clear is that the momentum for maintenance and improvement projects will be lost – and the money coming from federal and state sources to Baxter County to support the airport will, at best, be delayed and, at worst, also lost.
Judge Kevin Litty has not announced any reason for this action – although he apparently waited until the recent district court ruling was complete (December 23, 2024) to initiate his action. That lawsuit sought to clarify the authority to operate and manage the airport between the Airport Commission and the County Judge. The ruling did not call for the abolishment of the Commission, in fact it emphasized the necessity for cooperation between the County administration and the Airport Commission. Quoting the ruling “…requires the parties to work together for the common goal of safeguarding the airport and, ultimately, the interests of the citizens of Baxter County.”
The ruling split authority between the County Judge and the Airport Commission finding that (a) the “Commission has the right to negotiate and ultimately dictate the terms of airport facility leases…” and (b) “Only the County Judge can execute leases for county-owned airport realty.” This reflects the way all other Arkansas county airports are operating as the Judge cooperates with the Commission to establish hangar and other leases at their airports. Those rents support airport operations, paying the monthly bills.
Under the current Airport Commission, the Baxter County Airport has also consistently brought more than $5 million dollars annually to the area economy – through the federal and state funds attracted to accomplish maintenance and improvement projects at the airport. Rents from businesses operating at the airport, salaries of their employees, all of the hangar rents from airport tenants, fuel and services sales at the airport, all benefit the county and its taxpayers. There are no apparent reasons for abolishing the current Airport Commission, other than perhaps something personal from Judge Litty.
Local airport users and tenants also do not see the reasons to abolish this Commission, now made up of aviation knowledgeable individuals who are committed to operating and improving the airport to bring maximum value to the County. Airport traffic has been consistently rising under the current Commission, bringing all kinds of business people and medical professionals to our community, including the tourist and recreational visitors critical to the region’s economy. Access by airplane is essential as many would refuse to come to Mountain Home by road.
Without the airport it would have been impossible for my grandchildren, living in Houston, Texas, to see their grandparents who retired in Baxter County in 1978.
At best, it seems Tuesday night’s vote scheduled by the Judge, is premature. To abolish an effectively operating Airport Commission, without clear good reasons, and to create a new, unknown and untested system not used by any other county, is an unnecessary risk. Quorum Court members should vote to table the proposed ordinance until good reasons are put forth, and the consequences of that action can be better evaluated.
