County Approves Tourism Tax Funds for Airport
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The Moore County Airport Authority’s first appropriation from county tourism funds was approved Tuesday night on a 3-1 vote by the Board of Commissioners.
The $344,445 in Convention and Visitors Bureau room occupancy taxes will be used as the local match to draw down $3.1 million in federal funds channeled through the N.C. Department of Transportation.
airport Manager Ron Maness said the funds would be used to clear obstructions, make runway safety area improvements, and extend the runway by 400 feet. The improvements are requested to prepare the airport for an expected influx of aircraft in 2014 when the county hosts back-to-back U.S. Open tournaments.
“Are we going to have to move the college?” asked Commissioner Tim Lea, who cast the dissenting vote.
A frequent critic of airport operations, Lea questioned the need for further extension of the runway, the only improvement not specifically required by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Maness said the runway extension should not affect the Sandhills Community College campus.
An interlocal agreement by the county, the CVB and the Airport Authority was negotiated last year and was authorized by amending the legislation that established the room occupancy tax to fund tourism promotion efforts in Moore County.
In other business, the board adopted a resolution formally accepting revisions in the residency districts for the commissioners and five of the eight school board members. The board also approved a request to seek professional assistance in determining the use of available county office space.
Chairman Larry Caddell was absent because his wife, Lisa, is recovering from a broken leg sustained in a recent accident. Vice Chairman Jimmy Melton, who presided, said the injury was serious.
More details about the meeting will appear in the Friday edition of The Pilot.
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Comments
MichaelFlorence 1 year, 4 months ago
That giant sucking sound coming from the Airport is your money going bye bye. How much does everyone want to bet that this will not be the LAST appropriation of these county tourism funds, Sometimes I feel like there is an old record player out there that is skipping on the same part of an old worn record - it keeps playing "spend more" "spend more" "spend more".
One day the record player is going to stop working.
OldPilot 1 year, 4 months ago
Congratulations to those members of the Board of Commissioners who understand and recognize the need for and value of our airport and are willing to ignore the tiny but loud anti-airport minority.
RmeMP 1 year, 4 months ago
@oldpilot:
I am neither for nor against the airport and its functions; however, you seem to have your stats backwords - I believe the "tiny" amount of people, are actually the ones who use the airport. I may be wrong, I doubt it, but I would think there are MUCH more county residents who don't use the airport, then the few that actually do use it.
I can only assume by your screen name that you are one of the "tiny" population who utilize the airport, and you claim there is a "need for and value of our airport" - could you please explain to me what that important value and need is?
herecomesthescience 1 year, 4 months ago
The only value the airport has is for private pilots and their expensive toys. It offers absolutely no advantage to any other citizens of the area in any way. How about some of these local pilots offer competitive rates for charter flights to nearby cities? Please, give us a reason to care about the airport. I would love to support it, but I really see no use for it other than recreation for wealthy plane owners and a few corporate jets that may come in during the US Opens. Even when we had commercial service here it was much more expensive to fly directly here than it was to come into Raleigh and make the 1 hour drive back, so use was limited. I would be very amazed if we ever see commercial here again, and extremely amazed if it was ever affordable for the average resident.
MichaelFlorence 1 year, 4 months ago
Just a reminder to everyone:
$344,445.00 from the CVB fund - taxes on rooms (rooms are more expensive) $3.1 million dollars from the Federal Government channeled through the NC DOT - taxes from airline tickets (more expensive tickets)
All of this is real money taken from taxpayers and then doled out as political favors. If you want to stop uncontrolled spending this is a good place to start.
Toda 1 year, 4 months ago
The mindset of the visitors and convention bureau and hotels, Two golf tournaments every few years, is worth millions so visitors can fly in on their 747's and land on a 6,000 foot runway built for their personal use. Perhaps they are more concerned about the Donald Trumps of the world than revenue streams to offset Moore County taxpayer debt.
SoPinesNo1 1 year, 4 months ago
Blah, blah, blah. If you don't like the airport, don't use it. The money came from taxes on local motel rooms. How many of you have stayed in a local motel recently? So, it didn't come out of your pocket, it came from the folks that are likely to use the airport. As far as the Federal dollars go, they're going to be spent somewhere on some airport, it might as well be here. It sounds like the best source of funds for local matching dollars to me.
herecomesthescience 1 year, 4 months ago
I don't dislike the airport, I would LOVE to use it...but nobody can afford to. It would be great if there was some useful air service that was worth a darn.
RmeMP 1 year, 4 months ago
First off, TOADa - I guess there are some things that we can agree on :)
Secondly, Sopines - I would LOVE to be able to use it, can you tell me what there is available for me to use? Is there a tandem skydiving business there, where I can go jump? Is there a public "for hire" or "air taxi" board available that I don't know about, where I can go and look for a private pilot to fly me to the beach for the weekend and bring me back home? How about a "Bidding" board where I, as a customer, can post when and where I'd like to fly, and the local pilots bid on that request?
That is what the majority are trying to say - I just listed a few possible opportunities for local pilots and the airport to serve the Moore county residents who don't own their own plane.
justmyopinion 1 year, 4 months ago
"The mindset of the visitors and convention bureau and hotels........"
Toda- You are correct! Talk about a waste of time program/bureau.
Toda 1 year, 4 months ago
RmeMP => General you still can't spell...
SoPinesNo1 => Lynn Hughes why not use those dollars to reduce county debt. Or are we supposed to bear the burden of miss-management? The Moore County Airport Authority is independent of county oversight and administration. Why not just deed more land over to them like the 16 acres they have deeded in their name? If they are do independent then let them fend for themselves. The taxpayers of Moore County shouldn't provide one dime for their operation. Tax payers are not privy to their balance sheets so why should taxpayers give up tax revenue for their airport?
OldPilot 1 year, 4 months ago
There is no airline service at our local airport because it isn't profitable for the airlines to supply the service because there is an insufficient demand for airline service, after all, airline service is available at Raleigh slightly over one hour away. There is however a profitable business being done by fractional and charter operators bringing tourists & golfers to and from our local airport as well as those using their own aircraft for the same purpose. Asking why local pilots won't fly folks wherever they want to go denotes as complete a lack of understanding of aviation regulations as Toda suggesting that a 747 could operate out of our local airport. A public use airport is part of the national transportation system infrastructure, as is the interstate highway system, the state and local road system, the railroad system, the harbor and river transportation system, pipelines and so forth. Just because one doesn't use some particular part of the infrastructure doesn't mean it is unimportant or unworthy of support.
Courseaire 1 year, 4 months ago
Why a local airport - Here is an portion of an article that could apply to ours as well a number of other local NC airports:
General aviation deserves funds, leaders say By D.R. STEWART World Staff Writer Published: 9/30/2009
General aviation airports receive millions of dollars a year in federal grants that appear disproportional to their aircraft traffic levels, but they are indispensable to the national airports system, industry officials say.
Critics say general aviation airports siphon too much federal funding from 400 infrastructure-constrained commercial airports.
Supporters, however, say general aviation facilities relieve aircraft traffic at commercial airports, are an economic lifeline for small communities and serve as training and medical evacuation centers.
Victor Bird, director of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, told the Tulsa World that general aviation airports enable corporate executives to get in and out of small cities and conduct business more efficiently than they could on commercial aircraft.
"General aviation airports are critical to commerce and economic activity in rural Oklahoma and micropolitan Oklahoma," Bird said.
Oklahoma has 141 public-use airports serving 8,313 Federal Aviation Administration-certified pilots and 11,469 general aviation aircraft, says the Alliance for Aviation Across America. The alliance is a coalition of more than 4,400 aviation and business professionals and organizations interested in preserving small and rural communities.
AAAA released a nationwide study Tuesday of general aviation's importance to the economy — partly in response to criticism of general aviation funding.
In a study of federal funding of general aviation and the 28-year-old Airport Improvement Program earlier this month, USA Today found Congress has appropriated $15 billion to 2,834 general aviation airports.
The majority of AIP funding is paid by U.S. airline passengers through a 7.5 percent tax on each ticket as well as a $3.60 fee for each flight, USA Today reported.
Critics, including the airlines and their trade group, the Air Transport Association, say their customers pay for general aviation facilities.
Others see it differently.
Jeff Hough, deputy airports director of engineering and facilities for the Tulsa Airport Authority, said general aviation airports are a piece of the national airports system.
In 2008, Jones Riverside Airport, a general aviation facility at Jenks, had 335,826 aircraft operations — a landing or takeoff — twice the combined aircraft operations of the major area airportsin Oklahoma City, Hough said.
"If we had that traffic here at Tulsa International, we would be saturated and we would be having flight delays," Hough said. "It's a congestion issue, and it's a safety issue."
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?
SoPinesNo1 1 year, 4 months ago
TODA - If the article is to be believed, none of your tax dollars went toward the airport, just the taxes on staying in local motels did. Did you stay in a local motel recently? Why? The federal Tax dollars in the project, we all paid a miniscule amount of that as part of our federal tax obligation already. Why not have it reinvested here in Moore County that somewhere else?
JoeGarrison 1 year, 4 months ago
I think the airport should be a self sufficient entity. The Comissioner's are using monies from tourists to pay for something that is relevant to tourism. I think the commissioners are using a relevant source to help the airport rather than general fund dollars, but again I still think that the airport overall should be a self sufficient entity.
JoeGarrison 1 year, 4 months ago
And if I'm not mistaken the airport is pretty much a self sufficient entity when it comes to the commissioners other than this instance here.
herecomesthescience 1 year, 4 months ago
"Asking why local pilots won't fly folks wherever they want to go denotes as complete a lack of understanding of aviation regulations"...wow, thanks oldpilot. What a wonderful attitude towards us non-pilots out there. So you are saying that there really is no reason for us to use the airport AND you look down on us lowly people who lack your superior knowledge of aviation rules and regs. Great way to garner support from a public of which 99% never use the airport for any reason.
OldPilot 1 year, 4 months ago
Sorry "herecomesthescience" but if your cyberspace name is to be believed, on the theory that science is based in fact rather than emotion and lack of knowledge, read the Federal Aviation Regulations. I suggest www.faa.gov, look under "regulations and policies" for 'FAA regulations" , then I suggest you read Part 91, general aviation, Part 121, airline regulation, and Part 135, charter. After doing so you will understand. Part 91 operators simply can't fly passengers and charge for flights as can Part 121 and Part 135 operators. You want to use the airport? Learn to fly. Too expensive? It's a matter of priorities. You can buy a used four seat, fixed gear, fixed pitch prop 120 mph airplane for less than the price of a new large SUV or pickup truck. Better yet find a partner and split the cost. Tiedown is cheap. Maintenance less per hour than you would pay at an auto dealership and fuel little more than the premium you would pay for your land yacht gas guzzler.. There are plenty of retired guys around who are flight instructors and would teach you for peanuts. You don't want to take advantage of the opportunities available? Your choice. If someone really wants to do something there is always a way.
herecomesthescience 1 year, 4 months ago
Easy oldpilot, FAA rules are not really common knowledge for most folks. I dont want to be a pilot, i would just like to catch a flight.
herecomesthescience 1 year, 4 months ago
Air taxi would be fantastic!! At least an affordable charter service of some kind. I am guessing these are not offered, as the airport website mentions neither.
MooreNorth 1 year, 4 months ago
No Moore County tax dollars were used for this mandated action. SCC will not have to be moved, and Guam will not capsize if you build too much on one side.
Courseaire 1 year, 4 months ago
Most of your future Air Force & Navy Pilots, your Airline Pilots, etc. come from your local municipal airports. These are the American way - don't try to get rid of them.
Nezumi 1 year, 4 months ago
I remember seeing a B-29 land at our airport in an air show - what a sight! I used to travel extensively to Asia and it was great to be able to use SOP - after 20+ hours of flying the last thing I wanted to after arrival was drive another hour. I'd pay more for tix flying from here; when you include the cost of gas and parking at RDU it is probably a wash anyway.
OldPilot 1 year, 4 months ago
To wdd101st: exactly. Generally speaking pursuant to Federal Aviation Regulation Part 91 if a pilot has at least a commercial certificate, and the required recurrent training, and the aircraft has both an annual and current 100 hour inspection, plus current equiptment (pitot-static and transponder) recertification the pilot and aircraft may be used for commercial purposes. That, of course, is the minimum requirement per the FAA and does not speak to comfort, insurance and so on. It all sounds complicated but once you get into it it's actually pretty logical and relatively easy to learn. The airport is a teriffic asset to the community and flying is a great experience. It doesn't have to be and isn't insanely expensive. I wish more people would take advantage of the opportunity.
MichaelFlorence 1 year, 4 months ago
Back to the point of the story - If the airport is so self sufficent then why does it constantly need money and help from the County, and Federal Government? Land transfers, money from the CVB, tax money from the DOT funds. It will never stop and the madness will never end.
As for the statement no money from Moore County went to this project - The money collected fro the CVB tax could have been spent to attract more people to Moore County, or if not collected the visitors could have had more money to spend while they were visiting here, AND does no one in Moore County fly or pay taxes. We all paid for this current installment of money to the Airport. Call it what it is - A handout by the County, and a subsidy from the Federal Government.
Arestorer 1 year, 4 months ago
MichaelFlorence3 hours, 31 minutes ago;; The only people that agree with this spending, are the people that directly benefit..The rest of the citizines of Moore county dont matter.
MooreNorth 1 year, 4 months ago
Michael~ While I share your opinion on the airport surviving on it's own, I point out again that Moore County tax dollars are not being used for this. In other words, the commissioners didn't handout any money for this.
Toda 1 year, 4 months ago
SoPinesNo1 => Lynn Hughes
MooreNorth ~ Brad, who owns the hangers at the airport and most of the land except the Dowd property they threatened an 86 year old lady if she didn't sell at their price. It's obvious some are circling the wagons in an effort to justify allowing the MCAPA to continue to operate as an independent entity and dipping their hands into taxpayer coffers when they need some cash.
I think taxpayers should protest and put padlocks on the hangers - it's taxpayer property, until TPO-4 gives the board another real estate windfall.
SoPinesNo1 1 year, 4 months ago
TODA,
Who is Lynn Hughes? The funds used for the local match were raised as a room tax to promote tourism. That's what they were used for, to assist the airport and ultimately promote tourism.
Just because you have no reason to ultilize the airport, doesn't mean that others don't. I've never utilized the services provided by the department of social services, but others do. Should I protest the use of my tax dollars by that entity? I've not been arrested, or needed the sherriffs department, should I protest the use of my tax dollars by that entity? I'm glad they do what they do to make Moore County a better place for all of us. Get a grip. Everyone has different wants and needs, until you realize this, you'll just be another has been. Go file to run for an elected position like you keep threatening and see how many folks agree with your tunnel vision of serving only your interests and saying "to hell" with everyone elses..
justmyopinion 1 year, 4 months ago
MooreNorth- Then why are the commissioners even involved and voting (your quote below) Shouldn't the $$$ they are voting on be used for the good of the entire county and not just the few? If they can vote to use the $$$ for the sink hole, then they could vote against it and use the revenue in areas more needed. My bet is there are not that many that fly in and stay at the hotels. They are either staying at their second home which many do or these are day trip where execs fly in, play golf and fly right back out.
Michael~ While I share your opinion on the airport surviving on it's own, I point out again that Moore County tax dollars are not being used for this. In other words, the commissioners didn't handout any money for this
MichaelFlorence 1 year, 4 months ago
To those out there who think that this is not Tax money from people here in Moore County you really need to understand how things work. If a Moore County resident purchases an airline ticket a TAX is collected. This tax is designed to help aviation in this country. It really should be spent on improving our air traffic control system, improving larger airports and not handed out like some kind of political candy for local political benefit. A tax is a tax is a tax if someone pays it. I live in Moore County and I have purchased airline tickets in the past. That makes part of that money mine. Those are Moore County "tax dollars" since I had to spend the money on that airline tax instead of spending it here in my home county.
Yukonjohn 1 year, 4 months ago
OldPilot, I must say I agree with you. I bet if one goes out there during either of the "Opens" the tarmac will be totally filled with airplanes.
I have no "horse in this race" but I do remember as a child, my father had flown some, we used to go out to the airport. It was so thrilling to a young child. Granted, this was in the late50s/early 60s, but I still remember it well. My Sister worked at the airport years ago. I have flown in/out of it many times. I wish it were profitable for airlines to come into SOP more often!! And it is a shame that there is not alot of room for a few thousand feet on the runway!
Toda 1 year, 4 months ago
SoPinesNo1 => Lisa Hughes who was Program Director of Child Support Enforcement and then was unqualified to hold the position of accountant.
You may not use Human Service's but then again those who live on the margins of society don't own 1/2 million dollar airplanes. Who houses them in hangers build with tax-dollars and purchases land with no interest tax dollars. Let Pinehurst and those with the convention and visitors bureau pay for flight line upgrades.
And you can bet your sweet bippie on February 13 @ 12:01 I will pay my filing fee for State Senator. You and others may be in for quite a surprise after the May primary...I can provide a list of self centered politicians who grease their palms by introducing legislation for bills for business interests. Apparently you aren't an advocate for the humane treatment of animals. Your buddies Blake and Boles voted three times against puppy mill legislation. Bought and paid for by the NRA. Vote for Boles or Tillman...they go along to get along!