County clears airport ballot language for takeoff

One contender on the ballot has already been the subject of substantial debate.

Douglas County commissioners approved the resolution Thursday that will place the revision of the airport ordinance on the ballot.

Thursday's action approved language for the ballot, including the question, the proposed ordinance language, an explanation of the question and the anticipated financial effect.

The only things missing from the process are the arguments for and against the question, which will be developed by June and adopted in July in order to make the November ballot.

Assistant County Manager Steve Mokrohisky said the ballot question was revised to remove reference to the weight limit that has been part of the ordinance since voters first approved it in 1982 and to say that attempts to exceed the limitations on airport expansion in the ordinance would have to return to voters.

Commissioners also changed the language of the resolution to describe what would happen if it passed, Mokrohisky said. Previously it had listed the consequences if voters didn't approve the changes in November.

The final change was to remove a claim that the county might have to pay back $16.6 million it has received in federal grants over the past 20 years.

Mokrohisky said the claim might reappear in the arguments for passage, but that staff and commissioners felt it didn't have a place in the financial disclosure.

Federal Aviation Administration officials have written several letters to Douglas County saying the current ordinance is discriminatory and violates agreements county representatives signed in order to obtain grants.

The current ordinance has never been enforced, and according to county legal officials can't be.

Douglas County has taken $18.7 million in grants from the federal government to maintain the airport over the past quarter century, according to county records. The county has contributed $1.15 million during the same time.

Another $8 million in grants is at stake should the federal government decide the county is not in compliance.

County officials have said that without federal money, it would cost taxpayers nearly $5 million over five years to maintain the airport.

Opponents say the county is bowing to pressure from airport businesses to allow larger aircraft to land, and that approving the ordinance would pave the way for development of the airport.