"Airport Accounts for Increase in Record Victorville, Calif., Budget"

Friday, May 24, 2002

Airport Accounts for Increase in Record Victorville, Calif., Budget
The Daily Press, Victorville, Calif.


VICTORVILLE, Calif.--Reflecting city officials' belief that Southern
California Logistics Airport will be the major economic engine in the
High Desert, the airport accounts for most of the $20 million increase
in Victorville's record-setting budget, an analysis of the budget shows.

SCLA's budget rose to $17.3 million, from $3.6 million last year.
Another $5.8 million in capital improvements is slated for roads around
the airport, in an effort to improve truck access.

Victorville's overall budget, approved unanimously at Tuesday's Council
meeting, rose from over $79 million to a record-setting $100 million.

The city will also have to pay for the $5 million shortfall in revenues.

By far the largest cost at the airport is a $9 million expansion of one
of its runways to 15,000 feet. The extension would make the runway the
largest in the country, officials say.

But the extension is also necessary to make Southern California
Logistics Airport an air cargo hub.

Because of the high temperatures and high altitude of the airport, fully
loaded 747s, the most common cargo plane, need a longer runway to take
off during the summer months.

This means that until the runway is expanded, cargo planes will have to
either carry less cargo or less fuel to take off during the summer
months.

"SCLA will be unable to attract a major cargo carrier to provide
scheduled service until we can secure flight access in and out of the
airport at all times of year,"said Dougal Agan, principal of Stirling
Airports International, the lead developer at the airport.

The runway extension should be completed in the first three months of
the year, Agan said.

That project is an example of the city's belief in spending money to
attract businesses.

"If we have the money to provide the opportunity for a business to
locate or expand we're going to spend it. The result is more jobs or an
increase in sales tax,"said Councilman Terry Caldwell.

"We have five votes on the City Council to do the job,"Caldwell said.

Another significant portion of the increase comes from money spent to
attract businesses to redevelopment areas.

Over $7 million will be spent on land and incentives to attract
businesses to Victorville, according to the budget.


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