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Fee Increases Considered At Umatilla Airport

    “We’re finally whole, and we don’t want to lose that.”
    Umatilla City Manager Aaron Mercer this week opened up about a city plan to raise a series of fees associated with operating at the Umatilla airport.  Chief among the increases are proposed hikes in hangar rental fees, needed to ensure the airport continues to run at a profit and isn’t a drain on the city budget.
    The airport has undergone nearly continuous expansion in recent decades, with runway projects and added airplane parking and storage capacity chief among the city’s focus.  Mostly funded by grants, the city’s outlays for the expansion has been pennies on the dollar, and in many cases covered by revenue generated by hangar rental, fuel sales, and other revenue streams.
    Mercer said the airport has operated at a profit in recent years, but a $10,000 profit from two years ago is set to shrink to near $6,000 this year.  If changes aren’t made, it could once again become a drain on the city’s general fund.
    The increases, set to be discussed at a city council meeting on October 21, have been developed from a recent study of comparable fees charged by airports around the central Florida area. That study indicated Umatilla is well below other airports in its fees, and it has been several years since the city has increased.  Even if rates were doubled, Mercer says the city’s rates would only be in the middle tier of charges.
    Mercer said the city’s maintenance requirements at the airport continue to be impacted by rising costs.
    “If we expect to maintain what we have, we have to increase.”