Airport Funding Is in Limbo

Article by Steve Corlew-

The Beech River Regional Airport Authority is in limbo with funding being withdrawn from three of the four government entities that provide revenue for the authority’s annual budget.

Without the funding from Decatur County and the cities of Lexington and Parsons, funding of the airport budget will fall to Henderson County.

Incoming County Mayor Robbie McCready says he wished the problem had been addressed earlier. “I wished they had talked about this a couple of years ago,” McCready stated, but he added that they still have some options.

This will be one of the issues that needs to be tackled early in his administration. McCready said he would like to sit down with all of those involved.

There is a debate over the original agreement that established the authority some 20-years ago when the airport was relocated to Darden, according to County Attorney Lena Beal.

The original agreement was approved by the respective commissions and boards then signed by the leaders in 2001. A second agreement was signed by the mayors in 2002, however it was not ratified by the boards.

Until 2006, the City of Lexington funded and operated the Franklin Wilkens Airport and Scott Field in Parsons was funded by Parsons and Decatur County before it…

For complete coverage, see the June 22^nd edition of The Lexington Progress.

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