Southwest Colorado has an opportunity to greatly improve its regional airport at modest local cost with a “yes” vote on Ballot Issue 1B.
The improvements will make it possible to park one or two more aircraft, which are larger now than they used to be, make baggage handling much more efficient and significantly add to the square footage of the terminal. More importantly, the expansion and improvements will move the terminal to the east side of the runway, where the additional acreage will make it possible for further growth when the time comes.
In connection, there is the hope that a safer county access road intersection with U.S. Highway 160 to the east of the current intersection will be possible.
The expansion is something that is needed both for current traffic and as an investment in the future. It is an approximately $80 million project, with about half of that amount coming from the federal government. Property owners will be responsible for a maximum of $40.4 million with a mill levy that generates approximately $3.2 million annually for the 20-year life of the bonds. The average homeowner will pay less than $5 a month, a commercial building owner less than $40 a month.
If the federal funding does not materialize, the local taxation will not occur. In addition, portions of the total mill levy will be assessed as construction costs require. Planning and construction completion are expected to take four to five years.
Durangoans have received a lot of value from their current terminal, but it is time to step up to a facility that better reflects the larger size of today’s aircraft, the number of passengers at peak times and TSA’s screening needs.
Could the terminal and larger tarmac be funded in other ways? A passenger fee for a portion would be ideal, tapping travelers who do not pay county property taxes. But the passenger fee is set by Congress, and that amount – which is small – is already being used to fund operations. A sales tax rather than a mill levy? Even with tourists paying some of that, a sales tax would fall hard on locals. Because the gas industry is still such a large part of the county’s assessed valuation, and commercial building owners pay a higher percent of property valuation than do homeowners because of Colorado’s Gallagher Amendment, a mill levy is the easiest on county residents. Agriculture land is already taxed at a low rate.
A “yes” vote on 1B has the support of numerous government and business organizations, and some commercial building owners have been public with their support.
La Plata County’s diverse economy requires a proper airport facility. Fort Lewis College students, many of whom come from out of state, and their visiting parents, use the airport. So do the employees of several federal offices in Durango. And the modern economy, which in many cases makes it possible for employees to work from wherever they want, can require employees to periodically travel to a corporate office. The county’s aging population uses the airport either to travel to visit younger relatives or to host them here.
Much is in place to make this the right time to support a new airport. Planning has identified the ideal location and approximate size for the terminal and tarmac; federal funding, while not guaranteed, is possible; and there is momentum in support of the project. And even with a “yes” vote now, it will be four or five years before the new terminal is complete.
Vote “yes” on 1B.
