Newest First
By Am Trans on 05-22-12 @ 7:43 am
What would all that land be used for if it wasn’t an airport anymore? If it were promised to be used to benefit or increase enjoyment of a higher percentage of taxpayers I’d have to vote accordingly. Right
now the choice is simply to close or expand it. I think there’s a lot more to it than that.
By Mark Phillips on 05-23-12 @ 8:20 am
Republic: elected representatives who work hard to make everyone unhappy. Congrats to Kalispell City council for being so successful in this pursuit.
By EnPrime on 05-23-12 @ 10:58 am
Wayne “Let’s table this” SaverudJim “Tax and Spend” Atkinson
Randy “Tax and Spend More” Kenyon
Kari “This way - No, That Way” Gabriel
Jeff “Where am I?” Zauner
By LogicalOne on 05-23-12 @ 2:51 pm
AmTrans,
Your statement, ” Right now the choice is simply to close or expand it.” is not correct.
The choices are:
1. Leave it the same foot print, spend your tax money to fix it up.
2. Expand it with FAA funds.
Nothing else on the ballot except those choices.
Which one you gonna choose?
By Westside2 on 05-24-12 @ 1:38 am
The history of the Kalispell City Airport is one where tax dollars were invested based onexpected increases in aviation traffic which never materialized. It was “irresponsible and
damaging to the taxpayers interests”. Mayor Fisher just said this. It is also a fact that
General aviation is on the decline across America. Sinking more $‘s into a sinking ship just
doesn’t make sense. If, in the future, things change and demand increases, then a multitude of
options will present themselves. It’s basic supply and demand. General Aviation flights such
as those at the city airport contribute just 3% of the federal AIP funds proposed for this ($20
million?) project. So, most of the tax dollars to pay for expansion would come from taxes on
commercial flights and from city residents. This project just doesn’t pencil.
By LogicalOne on 05-24-12 @ 5:53 am
The Mayor constantly aludes to blame her staff, pilots, the airport manager, the councilors of the past and has done a lot of home work to try and show that she has done nothing to
cause any of the problems out at the airport. She inherited this old mule.
Mayor Fisher obviously has studied the situation and has come to the conclusion that the
airport is not worth paying for with city funding, or the city jumping through the hoops to get
FAA AIP reimbursement of 16 million dollars. It may be the interim financing that is the
culprit for not wanting to brave the FAA funding causing the heart burn?
I don’t know why Fisher allowed the bait and switch motions to hit the floor before what the
rest of the council were briefed in advance to expect. Especially if all of her issues are only
announced to her closest confidants until she makes them all public in a 10 minute blurb
with no public notice of intent. This is one reason why her council is so divided.
Why can’t the Mayor pull up her socks, put on her work boots and admit the city is broke
and can not afford an airport from this point on, if that is the case?
Don’t blame the aviation community for not producing a break even airport if you refuse to
wish the city to provide an airport to the flying public..
Our airport is on the map as a public airport. Users come here and gladly buy fuel and
services, provide support to the surrounding businesses and occasionally someone drops
in who ends up loving Kalispell and moves here with a business that adds 3 to 300 jobs..
But if that is not enough to justify the city providing a working budget, don’t blame the pilots
who drop in here or decide to hanger an aircraft here for the city’s ineptness at funding
public works.
Anyway you look at it, this upcoming vote is going to strap the airport on for more of the
same.
Will this upcoming charade, disguising a vote from the people to cover this fractionalized
city council to declare TIFF funds can’t be used down the road, be clearly be seen as a
muse to close the airport?
If that is their plan, vote to close it. Pay off the leases and move on.
If they want to provide a public airport, they better cough up the budget and use all the
resources available to do it.
Close it if you can’t afford it or raise the tax money to provide it. Don’t expect the
vacationing pilot coming here on vacation to be the sole source of funding city
infrastructure.
By kalispelling bee on 05-26-12 @ 9:41 pm
“The Mayor constantly aludes to blame her staff, pilots, the airport manager, the councilorsof the past and has done a lot of home work to try and show that she has done nothing to
cause any of the problems out at the airport.”
Can someone translate this into English?
The views expressed in the comments section do not reflect those of the Beacon.