The airport for years was a source of frustration for the county commissioners who were forced to bail it out financially for $40,000 to $50,000 annually, up to as much as $100,000. The loans didn’t include the $155,000 in debt payments every year the airport budget couldn’t sustain.
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The county fired former airport administrator Ron Davis two years ago, saving his $93,710 annual salary that with benefits totalled $110,310. Although the county said the firing was for economic reasons, for several years budget hearings with Davis were extremely contentious. He failed to develop a business plan to try and right the finances and the commissioners were livid when they learned he didn’t inform them the contract with the fixed base operator was expiring.
Davis sued the county in Butler County Common Pleas Court saying he was fired because he complained about alleged Federal Aviation Administration rules violations. The case was dismissed last December.
The airport budget has been in the black since that time and Commissioner Don Dixon said it is time, given the 2020 debt-free plan, to refocus on the airport. Some of the estimated $9 million the county will have to spend on things other than debt repayment could be used for the airport, according to Dixon.
“It’s paying its way right now so that was what we needed to do in the short term so now we can look at the long term to figure out to turn it into more of an economic development product,” Dixon said.
County Administrator Judi Boyko said she supports hiring a part-time administrator so she and Fehr can get back to work on making the airport better.
“The position would relieve David from oversight of the day-to-day operations and allow he and I to work on a more strategic approach and business model to utilize the airport as an asset in commerce and economic development,” Boyko said.
She said Fehr has done an “excellent job” managing the airport and has found several ways to save money and make operations more efficient.
When the airport problems peaked the commissioners ordered a study of the airport to find out how to make it more viable. Fehr said he believes he and Boyko can use that report as a starting point.
“That was actually a pretty thoughtful process, it’s got a lot of good data points so I think we’ll start with that report, it’s fairly fresh, and move from there,” he said.
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Fehr said he hasn’t finalized anything on the new hire yet but he anticipates a salary of around $40,000. That person will mainly be managing the building and grounds and will probably not deal with Federal Aviation Administration grants and other higher level duties.
The other two commissioners agree with the new airport position.
“We knew this was coming now for a few years, we appreciate you’ve done it this long,” Commissioner T.C. Rogers said to Fehr.
“I personally think it could be full-time,” Commissioner Cindy Carpenter said. “Because we have the opportunity to build commerce and do much more with the airport than we are doing.”
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