Airplane owners should pay for airport growth

Margaret C. Gossweiler
Published: February 29, 2008

I am responding to the article in the Star-Exponent regarding the proposed expansion of Culpeper Regional Airport and the funding sources ("Bids for airport terminal wanted by summer," Feb. 21).

Regardless of the airport manager's argument that the cost to Culpeper would be limited to 2 percent with the majority of the cost being paid by state and federal funds, Frank Bosio and the Board of Supervisors need to be reminded that not only is Culpeper County experiencing a budget deficit, so also are the commonwealth and the federal government. 

In other words, perhaps this project - which is of primary benefit to a limited few - needs to be either put on hold or abandoned altogether. 

As a taxpayer, I do not want any of my taxes to go for this airport project at this time.

However, if the county insists upon going forward with this project, it should require that the 2 percent stated in the article as being the cost to the locality be paid by the 130 aircraft owners who apparently base their planes at the airport.
Assuming an overall cost of $2.2 million as stated in the paper, 2 percent is $44,000, and dividing that among the 130 owners who base their planes at Culpeper Airport, this comes to a modest $338.46 each. 

This seems a very reasonable amount to expect the plane owners to absorb.