County OK's Tourism Funds for Airport
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The Moore County Airport will receive its first infusion of tourism funds to cover improvements planned in time for the back-to-back U.S. Open and Women’s Open championships in 2014.
The board voted 3-1 to adopt a resolution appropriating $344,445 in room occupancy tax funds for use as the local match to draw down $3.1 million in federal funds for capital improvements.
Commissioner Tim Lea cast the dissenting vote after questioning decisions by the Moore County Airport Authority and its management. Chairman Larry Caddell was absent, but the other commissioners, Nick Picerno, Craig Kennedy and Vice Chairman Jimmy Melton, voted for the resolution.
“Are we going to have to move the college?” asked Lea, a former trustee of Sandhills Community College.
His question focused on one of the three projects planned for the federal, state and local funds. The Federal Aviation Administration, which is providing most of the money, mandates two of the projects —clearing obstructions and improvements to the runway safety area.
However, the third, extension of the runway by 400 feet, is not an FAA requirement.
Lea recalled an earlier time when the college trustees were advised by airport officials that there would be no further extensions of the runway.
He said Piedmont Community College was moved because of growth at the Triad airport and wondered if the day will come when the Moore County Airport becomes so large that it will be necessary to move Sandhills Community College.
“To the best of my knowledge, this should not affect the college,” replied Ron Maness, airport manager.
Lea’s comments echoed those of Dave Korb, who spoke during the public-comment period at the beginning of the meeting.
Korb was speaking on behalf of his father, Fred Korb, who lives in Whispering Pines, the village that abuts the airport.
Korb asked the board to postpone action on the airport request until further study could be conducted.
“This is something the county doesn’t need and its citizens don’t want, especially the hundreds of those who have recorded their opposition on our website and by signing our petition, demanding an end to funding for expansion by the FAA,” Korb said.
Korb said the airport plans to spend $16.2 million on improvements before 2014, when Moore County hosts back-to-back Opens. He said the authority is proceeding with these plans despite the loss of about $150,000 in operational costs in the past year.
His criticism was also directed at airport plans to conduct a third study of commercial airline passenger service feasibility and the listing of recent property acquisitions in the name of the airport rather than the county, which owns the airport.
Calling the passenger service a “pipe dream,” Korb said US Airways will soon launch round-trip service to Washington, D.C., from the Fayetteville airport, further reducing the likelihood that the Moore County Airport will be able to attract commercial airline service.
Korb called the airport wasteful and complained about a lack of transparency by the authority.
Lea said he has heard from “a tremendous number of property owners in the area” who have questions about the future expansion of the airport and the effect it may have on their own property.
Maness defended the runway extension as desirable because it gives pilots more flexibility in landing and takeoff, especially by larger aircraft.
The county, the airport and the Convention and Visitors Bureau last year entered into a negotiated interlocal agreement that authorizes the airport to use a percentage of the taxes collected for the purpose of promoting tourism in Moore County.
The reasoning centers on the airport’s role in handling thousands of airborne visitors during major golf tournaments as well as year-round to take advantage of golfing opportunities in the area. The agreement necessitated an amendment to the legislation authorizing the room occupancy levy.
However, the tourism tax appropriation was not the only issue attracting criticism of the airport during the Tuesday meeting.
Lea also raised questions about budget amendments allowing the airport to buy a Cessna 162 and provide in-house aircraft maintenance.
These issues were raised earlier in the meeting when Lea asked that the budget amendment items be pulled from the consent agenda for discussion.
Lea asked why the airport has money to buy an airplane but does not have enough money to pay for improvements needed to prepare for the U.S. Opens.
Maness said the airport would use internal funds to pay for the aircraft, which he said became available rather unexpectedly and the authority wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to acquire the craft. He said the airplane will be rented out and will make money for the airport.
“This is a revenue-generating piece of equipment,” Maness said of the Cessna.
Commissioner Nick Picerno asked Maness to clarify the source of funding for the aircraft purchase and, later in the meeting, the source of funding for the FAA grants. Picerno said he wanted to make sure that none of the money is coming from local taxpayer funds.
“These are strictly internal funds,” Maness said of the $130,000 to buy the Cessna 162.
Maness said he could not remember any occasion when the airport had asked the county to provide operational funds. He said airport requests have always been for capital improvements. The airport makes money by renting aircraft, selling aircraft fuel, hangar rentals and other resources.
In recent years this source of revenue has been lower because of the economic recession.
In response to other questions from Picerno, Maness explained that FAA grants are not tax funds but are fees collected at airports for distribution to small and large airports across the country. Because the Moore County Airport no longer has commercial passenger service, the authority cannot apply directly to the FAA for grants. Instead, the airport applies to the N.C. Department of Transportation, which allocates federal funds through its aviation division. Such allocations require state and local matches of 10 percent.
Picerno suggested that airport officials make a better effort to communicate with their neighbors, perhaps by holding a public hearing, to make sure everyone understands the functions and plans of the airport.
Maness said the authority is already making plans to address these issues.
Melton, who presided Tuesday, explained that the chairman’s wife, Lisa Caddell, recently sustained a serious injury when she broke a leg in an accident.
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Comments
tarheelborn 1 year, 4 months ago
And? "As The World Turns", in (Moore County)!
OldPilot 1 year, 4 months ago
Thankfully we have three members of the Moore County Board of Commissioners who have the intestinal fortitude to look to the future and ignore the usual tiny but loud anti-airport crowd. Thank you Commissioners Picerno, Kennedy and Melton.
MichaelFlorence 1 year, 4 months ago
Now this really stinks - They take money from the CVB fund, receive additional funding from the NC DOT and they go out and buy a 130,000.00 dollar aircraft. How many rentals will it take to pay for the aircraft, its maintenance, insurance and other upkeep. People get it into your heads - The CVB fund money is a TAX, the money from the NC DOT (from the Federal Government is a TAX. This is all TAX money. When does the bottomless pit get filled? When will this country wake up and realize that enough is enough?
The process will never end until we can elect people who will think of the people's money as their own. Who will make decisions as if they were spending their own money. We are the People. The Government is supposed to work for us, not the other way around.
OldPilot 1 year, 4 months ago
If you read the article the trainer was paid for from airport operating funds, NOT from tourism tax funds, which are used for match funds to secure federal grant dollars funded thru the NCDOT Aviation Division. The trainer is an investment that will more than pay for itself in flight training and rental. Unless you have stayed in a hotel or motel in the area you haven't paid a cent of the tourist tax dollars. The airport draws tourists. It makes perfect sense to use tourist tax funds in a fashion that improves the airport, which is owned by Moore County, and operated by the Airport Authrority, in a fashion that improves the airport from both a safety and convenience standpoint, thus draws more tourists and tourist dollars. Again investment in the future.
MichaelFlorence 1 year, 4 months ago
Several things - if they have $130,000.00 just laying around in their operating funds it should be used to improve the airport - not to buy a plane to rent out. Again I ask the question how long will it take the Airport to recoup and start "making" money on this aircraft purchase.
BUT since the Airport keeps their operating budgets under such tight wraps it will never be known, or will it be known how mucht the plane will be used for Personal use by Airport staff or their friends.
That tourist tax dollar you talk about is money that is not being spent in our locat economy. Why not instead drop the tax a little and make it cheaper for our tourist to stay here. I have nothing against Civil aviation - I do have a problem when a quasi semi official government agency somehow manages to keep finding a need to spend more and more money ti "improve" things but needs to find those funds from outside governmental sources.
justmyopinion 1 year, 4 months ago
"ignore the usual tiny but loud anti-airport crowd."
Oldpilot- Tiny?? Are you serious. I would bet that 75% or greater of Moore County residents could give one damn less about the sink hole airport. Since this story came out, aren't you the only one that has been in favor of this while everyone else thinks it stinks?
Courseaire 1 year, 4 months ago
"Since this story came out, aren't you the only one that has been in favor of this while everyone else thinks it stinks?" I'm 100% with the OldPilot - this airport, as well as many other small airports are vital to America. The people that fly into MoCo bring & spend a lot of money here. These small airports are also the stepping stones to our future fighter & airline pilots.
MichaelFlorence 1 year, 4 months ago
wdd101st
If you remember the big push to finish the US 1 before the 2005 Open was all for show. All of the visitors coming down for the golf were redirected off onto 15-501 to reach the parking lots so they could ride down that stretch of road attend the Open. US 1 was not really used at all. A waste of a 1 Million dollar bonus. If they follow the same parking plan as before all traffic coming down 211 from the West will be redirected in Seven Lakes off of 211 and to those same parking lots. Very few of our visitors will even see the new and improved 211. The point of this whole exercise is just a dream to try and make a pigs ear look like a silk purse. Keep the airport as it is, and move our tax dollars somewhere else. If they can afford to throw out 130,000 for a rental plane then lets look at all of their finances to see where will can find more money.
OldPilot 1 year, 4 months ago
"justmyopinion": If the "hundreds" of folks who oppose airport spending are real (assume 999) , versus the 88,000+ residents of Moore County, that would amount to 011%, 11 one hundreths of one percent or so. The fact is all the noise is created by a tiny group. Anyone can spend $500 and have a NC corporation and a website created. It isn't as if the templates aren't on line. A tiny group of seven or thereabouts people create a bunch of noise that would lead one to believe there is "public support" for their position because there are folks who buy into the misinformation and "agree" by signing on to the website, but the fact is most of the noise is those seven people. "MichaelFlorence": The airport financials are public record, all you have to do is ask.
FredKorb 1 year, 4 months ago
This story is nothing short of a deliberate distortion of the facts. Even the sub-headline ("Tourism Tax Money Goes to Expansion") is wrong. Here are the facts: The Aviation director at state DOT confirms that state tax money is funding the extension of runway 23; Taxpayer dollars diverted to airport construction, because the FAA agreed with our group that extending the runway would be a waste of their funds. For those who do not know, our group is called Taxpayers to Stop Airport Waste, representing hundreds of MC Taxpayers who are opposed to airport expansion. After our petition was delivered to FAA demanding an end to funding for airport expansion, officials there downgraded the airport from Commercial Service to General Aviation, an action which essentially cut off federal funding for this expansion project, specifically for the runway extension. So, DOT stepped in with taxpayer funds in the amoung of $1.8 million and the County Board of Commissioners once again stepped up to the plate with another $200,000. (I have not included the funding for safety improvements which we do not oppose.) This, despite the fact that the MC Airport Authority and some County Commissioners stated repeatedly that they are only paying for "saftety projects mandated by FAA ...
FredKorb 1 year, 4 months ago
(continued; we ran out of space, above) ... stated repeatedly that they are only paying for "safety projects MANDATED by FAA." Mandated? Ask FAA officials, and they'll tell you, Not So!! This has been another deliberate scheme to deceive County Taxpayers. We are appalled that The Pilot is not only a partner in, but a cheerleader for this blatant deception. T-SAW (w/assistance from attorneys) is now weighing options for legal challenges to block the Airport Authority's and County Commissioner's hijacking of millions of taxpayer dollars. Need we remind County voters of cutbacks in essential services while the airport and some noses grow? This latest waste of taxpayer funds comes just months after the County had to close its top school to relieve a projected Education Department deficit of $11 million. We apologize for our late arrival in this debate; we've been dealing with a family health issue. We thank Michael Florence and others for their brilliant rebuff of "OldPilot," who typically has gotten this so very wrong. Written in behalf of Taxpayers to Stop Airport Waste, LLC
FredKorb 1 year, 4 months ago
Just a minor clarification: The headline we quote, above, appeared in The Pilot's print edition. And I must add that I find it peculiar that Florence's story online was so difficult to find, posted not on the home page, where you usually find lead stories, but well down the list on an inside page. At least that's the situation at this moment. It might jump out front at some point. So, I ask, is the story such an embarrassment that it needed to be "hidden?" Or, is my radar being guided by the "conspiracy theorist" who sometimes pops into my head?!?!
OldPilot 1 year, 4 months ago
All the noise is created by a loud, tiny group of about seven people calling themselves "Taxpayers To Stop Airport Waste" on their website. Fred Korb, one member of the group, bought a house near the airport years ago and has complained ever since.. Dave Korb, who less than a year ago incorporated "Taxpayers To Stop Airport Waste, LLC" accoding to the public records of the NC Secretary of State, Corporations Division is a second member. The airport does not have commercial service, has not since 2001 but for Delta which terminated it's summer seasonal service several years ago and only ran for two years in any event. Any change in airport "status" simply reflects reality. More runway equals greater safety, always has, always will. Glad that Fred Korb doesn't oppose safety improvements.
Toda 1 year, 4 months ago
"tiny group of about seven people calling themselves "Taxpayers To Stop Airport Waste"
MichaelFlorence 1 year, 4 months ago
One last comment
Have funds just laying around purchase a $130,000.00 plane. Then put $14,000.00 in in house maintenace into it. Now they have $144,000.00 spent.
Another example of hey we have extra money we have to spend it on something that looks good, but isn't. If there was a burning need for a plane to rent then a private company would come in and offer their services - Not the Airport Authority. What a waste of money.
justmyopinion 1 year, 4 months ago
Oldfart and hotaire - if you sincerely think that more people in moore county are in favor of spending money on the airport, then there is no sense in debating this at all. But I will ask this. How much revenue does the airport bring in? Right now, all we know is that they are going to waste a minimum of $344,445 that could have went to the schools or another meaningful cause.
You boys and your toys...(shaking my head)
Bflat 1 year, 4 months ago
Like Hwy1 rush to complete that wasn't really necessary in the past, stores and restaurants stocked up to be prepared for "all the money that would be spent in the county" during "The Open." Visitors came, went to course, then went home...leaving restaurants and stores with inventory they had to practically give away. Of the private homes/condos rented, most of the people ate at home which might have pumped up the grocery store pockets a bit, but not the restaurants and other stores. Pinehurst Village was practically dead.
So, why is all the money going to be spent (wasted) on Airport improvements now? Nothing prevented anyone flying in for the "Open" in the past, not even Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the #1 school was closed down last year due to a budget shortfall and a huge multimillion $$$ federal sized JAIL is being constructed in downtown Carthage. The citizens of the county are tired of such hoodwinking nonsense. By the time TPO-4 are replaced in Carthage, taxes and other fees will be the albatross on our children and grandchildren.
Toda 1 year, 4 months ago
Bflat ~ more of the same old politics in Carthage. They are appeasing Club Corp and the hotel and motels in Poorer County.
Spending taxpayer money is like having your own money tree. I can't wait to see the cost of the consultant who will suggest building parking lots.
justmyopinion 1 year, 4 months ago
So true Toda- I forgot about that. Many restaurants lost money the week of the Open b/c the spectators came and went right back out daily. The ones that stayed rented houses throughout the community so there again, restaurants weren't used. One restaurant manager told me he hired extra help that he ended up paying to do nothing and then sent home. He even lost money because the regular local customers didn't get out expecting"great crowds" that the idiots of the CVB said would come in in droves and add millions to the local economy. BS!!
AmericanModerator 1 year, 4 months ago
Once again the arguements and the article miss the point. We have a nice airport in a nice location that can be good for our community but: Our Airport Authority is dominated by former big airline and Air Force folks who are fixated on returning scheduled air service to Moore County at the expense of more realistic uses. With RDU so close by and offering so many good fares we have no chance of scheduled service returning here. It won't happen. It can't happen. We need to quit this pursuit and waste of time and money. We need younger, more creative, more diverse folks running the airport. I recommend we create and market the airport as a recreational/general aviation park and create an atmosphere that supports historic, experimental, ultralight, balloon, etc aircraft. We need to change the business model, services, rates, and infrastructure to do this. We live in high per capita income area and folks have the money to pursue avaiton as a hobby or small business if services, fuel, training, etc are in place. We might even attract aviation-related businesses of the sorts I describe if we try. There is still land (for now) available around the airport to support if we change emphasis. It could be a lot of fun and profitable for more people. We change on the board/authority to even get started, though. As for the The Open it'll get a few days of high traffic and is being overused as an excuse to spend money.
OldPilot 1 year, 4 months ago
OK Toda, if it's 7 X 7X 7 people that equals 343. So 343 out of a population in Moore County of 88,000+ are fed up? That's three tenths of one percent. Hardly a stunning majority. justmyopinuion: the airport is self supporting insofar as operations are concerned, grants pay for for some safety and infrastructure improvement. If you and others think the U. S. Open is a bad idea or poorly run you are complaining to the wrong people. The new trainer was purchased out of operating funds, not tax dollars, and will be part of the airport becoming a Cessna Pilot Training Center. Well said AmericanModerator. This OldPilot agrees 100%. As much as you, and I, would like to emphasize some of the other aspects of aviation you mentioned, and a restaurant or snack bar would be a welcome addition as well, we have to remember that the airport has to serve the Part 91 business as well as the Part 135 charter community, and continue to remain self supporting while doing so. Hope you will get involved and help make some of your ideas reality .
Toda 1 year, 4 months ago
justmyopinion => Nailed it...never has truth and fact been so revealing.
OldPilot => "So 343 out of a population in Moore County of 88,000+ are fed up?" Have your buddies who were elected to represent ALL of Poorer County Citizens put it up for a vote? Fred Korb has had several thousand hits on their website last account I had on the web traffic.
If you want to fly...fly away using your own money and not one dime of taxpayers money. Seldom do justmyopinion and I agree on topics...but he nailed that one. True statements. The restaurants in our area had to throw food away.
OldPilot 1 year, 4 months ago
Sorry Toda: you're entitled to your opinions but not made up "facts". The Airport Authority was created by statute, SL 1993-414, Senate bill 942. As such their financials are public record. All you have to do is be bright enough to ask. Better yet attend the monthly meetings of the Airport Authority and listen to the monthly treasures financial report. Fred Korbs website? Buy an ad in the Pilot. Get hits. Big deal. Check the website. Basically a showcase for Fred, Dave Korb (Fred's son) Vriginia Korb (Fred's wife), Charles and Audrey Bronk (dissatisfied buyers of a home near the airport in Whispering Pines), Skip Gebhart (Whispering Pines councilman) and Bob Zschoche (Whispering Pines mayor). Fred Korb's threat to sue the airport: wonder how much money Whispering Pines wasted when it trying to exert extra-territorial jurisdiction over new hangar construction at the airport. Whispering Pines lost big time. If you and "justmyopinion" think the U. S. Open is an economic waste you really are complaining to the wrong people and in the wrong place given that Pinehurst is the "golf capital of the world".
lakeview 1 year, 4 months ago
Oldpilot- I believe they said the airport is a waste of time and money not the US Open. And I have to agree. Shut off the funding!!
Toda 1 year, 4 months ago
Oldpilot => "All you have to do is be bright enough to ask." I did! FYI ~ I'm very bright and well educated. I am fully aware of the legislation giving the Airport Authority their independence with appointments from the County Board of Commissioners. It's the good old boy network at work.
If TPO-$4 are giving non interest loans to the Authority, then the taxpayers should be allowed to vote. Or is this loan just another misuse of our money or payment to encourage vanity and egos from elected officials who are supposed to represent our interests and not government appointments?
Toda 1 year, 4 months ago
OldPilot ~ wrong again Sir..."given that Pinehurst is the "golf capital of the world".
OldPilot 1 year, 4 months ago
Toda, don't get your toga in a knot. Fact: 1) golfers use the airport and golf is a large part of the local economy; 2) the airport is owned by Moore County, and Moore County chooses to spend dollars to secure grants to improve the facility it owns; 3) the airport is self supporting as far as it's day to day operation by the Airport Authority is concerned; 4) the airport financials are public record available to any member of the public who requests them; 5) there is a treasures report made at every airport authority monthly meeting. If you don't have the financials then once again you are commenting without knowing what you are talking about. If you want to squabble about Pinehurst being or not being the golf capital of the world you need to take your squabble somewhere else; the answer, if there is one, has nothing to do with the airport as such.