A maintenance shed request for Warren County Memorial Airport probably will not take flight again this year.
Airport officials asked for an additional $94,000 in their proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year from Warren County for construction of a maintenance shed, an item that was first requested and rejected in 2015.
“We would like to ask for that again,” said airport manager Richard Crawford. “We would really like for you to consider this for us. We have a lot of equipment that we would like to house. I also understand where you sit right now. You have a lot to consider when it comes to budgets. Anything you would consider we would greatly appreciated so we can move forward with that.”
The county Budget and Finance Committee met Thursday to review the airport’s budget for fiscal year 2017-18.
“We went out for bids on the project,” said Crawford, when he was asked about the price. “The lowest bid received was $162,000, I think.”
The airport has $88,000 it can use.
Commissioner Terry Bell asked why the airport doesn’t construct a smaller shed with the money it has in hand.
“That $94,000 basically amounts to about a penny and a half in property taxes from taxpayers that you are requesting,” said Bell. “Why have y’all not gone ahead and used what money you have and built a smaller building and construct it in a way that can be expanded?”
Crawford said he can take the recommendation to the Airport Commission but expressed his belief $88,000 will not build much.
“The $88,000 won’t hardly get us anything,” he said. “I don’t know. I can have the architects come out and take a look. If we build a 10 by 10, we wouldn’t be able to house anything there. I didn’t realize that buildings were so expensive.”
Committee members unanimously approved the budget, without the requested additional funds for a maintenance shed. Changes can still be made. However, when the funds were removed in 2015, they remained out.