Commissioners debate airport funds handling; auditor urged caution against separate checking account

Weston County commissioners discussed whether airport revenues should be held in a separate account under the airport’s control or handled through the county budget process.

A commissioner reported a conversation with Paul, who cautioned that creating a separate checking account for airport receipts is where financial problems often begin. The commissioner and others explored alternatives: creating a dedicated line item in the county budget for airport receipts or tracking the revenues carefully and authorizing spending through the budget process so both county and city interests remain visible.

Commissioners noted that the airport is jointly governed by the county and the city; one speaker said the city would need to agree before giving the airport unilateral authority over funds the city shares. Several commissioners favored the budgeting approach: record anticipated revenue, allocate the county’s share into a budget line and allow the airport to expend those funds without repeated board approvals while preserving transparency.

One commissioner suggested that if an urgent repair — for example, a door — is required before both boards can meet, the county could move ahead using existing county funds and resolve the city’s share later through normal budget or intergovernmental processes.

The board asked county staff (and the auditor) to gather more information and, where helpful, to consult with the city and airport board; one commissioner said he would call Paul again to gather comparative structures used by other municipal airports.