Crow Wing County To Take On Majority of Funding for Brainerd Airport | Lakeland News

Duration: 3:00 500 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

Crow Wing County has agreed to a new three-phase funding plan for the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport that will significantly shift financial responsibilities from the city to the county. Originally established in 1946 as a joint venture where both the city and the county shared costs equally, the partnership structure is set to evolve starting January 1st, 2027. Over the course of three years, the funding split will transition from an initial 75/25 ratio in favor of the county to an 80/20 split, and finally to an 85/15 split by the end of the period. This gradual increase in the county's share is designed to address long-standing concerns about the city bearing a disproportionate tax burden relative to its population and resources. The primary driver behind this restructuring is District 3 County Board member Steve Barrows, who argued that the previous arrangement was unsustainable for the city of Brainerd. Under the old system, residents were effectively paying for the airport twice—once through city taxes and again through county contributions—which created an inequitable situation. To resolve this, the new agreement stipulates that while the county will cover the majority of the costs, the city will lose one seat on the Airport Commission to balance representation with the new funding ratios. Additionally, the plan includes a specific provision ensuring that if either party attempts to underfund their agreed-upon share, the commission has a mechanism to enforce the required percentages, thereby protecting the integrity of the budget. Despite these significant changes in ownership and financial contribution, officials from both sides emphasize that the day-to-day operations of the airport will remain unaffected. The new ordinance is intended to better align the support structure with the interests of all taxpayers, ensuring that the community continues to receive reliable aviation services without unnecessary strain on city finances. Staff members have concluded that this revised framework is a superior fit for both the residents and the county, maintaining their previous commitment to supporting the airport's mission. By adjusting the funding model, the partnership aims to create a more sustainable future where the financial load is distributed fairly according to the evolving needs of the region.

Read the full video transcript

Crowing County has agreed to a new three-phase plan regarding the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport's funding that will see the county take a majority of the responsibilities over and the lion of the lion's share of the funding for the airport. Our reporter Xavier Curry has details. >> In 1946, the city of Brainerd and Crow Wing County worked together to establish a joint Airport Authority with several amendments to that ordinance over the years. >> Originally established actually back in 1946 that both the city and the county were 50/50 sponsors to the airport and starting in January 1st of 2027, it'll be a three-phase time period where we've got a 75/25% split going to an 80/20 and then an 85/15% split. So, it will go to those percentages over the next 3 years. >> District 3 County Board member Steve Barrows feels the current agreement is not sustainable for the city. >> It was inappropriate for us to have that sort of look or appearance that we were causing Brainerd to be unnecessarily taxed. And so, what we came up with is that in '27 the county will pay 75% and the city will pay 25% and the city will lose one position on the Airport Commission and the county will gain that one position. >> Barrows says there is a provision in the new agreement that addresses if either party attempts to underfund its share of the agreement. >> So, what will happen is the commission at the airport will determine a budget and then from that budget, whatever the agreed upon amount is, you always have to honor those percentages. If one city council or county board determines that they don't want to give as much, we have that mechanism now as a way to take care of that now. >> Representatives from both sides feel that at the end of the day, the new plan is what's better for the taxpayers. >> The funding structure won't change the day-to-day operations here at the airport. And it comes down to the residents and the taxpayers helping to support our airport. The staff work concluded that the new ordinance is a better fit for both the taxpayers and they still continue to support the airport as they have previously. >> Starting in January through each phase of the funding plan, the county will gain an additional representative on the airport commission while still maintaining a 50/50 ownership with the city. Reporting in Brainerd, Xxavier Curry, Lakeland News. >> Last year with the partnership still being 50/50, the county put in about $150,000 to the airport and the city of Brainerd contributed 1,000 compared with 150,000 in recent years. That was changed to 1,000 because of that concern that Brainerd residents were paying for the airport in their taxes twice, from the county and then also from the city. >> Lakeland News is a non-profit news organization. Donate to Lakeland PBS today to support your local news team.