Kerr County, City Hash Out Airport Authority

County, City Hash Out Airport Authority
Kerrville Daily Times, TX

Published December 09, 2003 

Kerr County Commissioners Monday once again attempted to resolve the status of 
the Kerrville/Kerr County Joint Airport Advisory Board. At issue is the 
question of whether or not the board has the authority to make operational 
decisions, instead of acting only in an advisory capacity.

The commissioners made their feelings on the matter plain, voting unanimously 
to rescind a 1987 court order affirming the board as advisory. However, an 
airport management plan failed to get past the discussion stage.

Pct. 3 Commissioner Jonathan Letz said that after several months of discussion, 
it was time to resolve the situation.

“For over eight months, a situation has existed that we haven’t 
resolved,” Letz said. 

According to Letz, it was the will of the voters in May 1970 to create a board 
that actively managed the airport.

“It was not set up as an advisory board,” Letz said.

Kerrville City Manager Ron Patterson said the election that created the airport 
authority versus the authority of the airport board were two separate issues.

“The authority was created, but it just sat there,” Patterson said. The 
airport board never took the next step to convert the existing advisory board 
to a free-standing airport authority. Patterson also pointed out that the 
voters never granted taxing power to an airport authority.

Patterson said that he doesn’t want the airport board authority policy to 
“detract from what I feel is a very successful year” for the airport in 
securing $600,000 to build a new terminal at no cost to either city or county. 
Half the funds will come from a state grant; the remainder was approved for 
funding by the Kerrville Economic Improvement Corporation.

Early in the discussion, Pct. 2 Commissioner Bill Williams presented a court 
order he had authored to establish a sovereign airport authority to the other 
members of the court. If approved, the unpaid authority comprising seven 
members — two appointed by the city and county, a commissioner, a city 
councilman and an appointed chairman — would have power to lease land and 
oversee management services. 

Patterson agreed with the commissioners that some action needed to be taken to 
clarify the authority. 

Williams sought comment on the feasibility of the proposed order from County 
Attorney David Motley, who responded he would have to go research that part of 
the transportation code.

Letz suggested action be delayed until the next meeting until such times as 
Motley had an opportunity to review the proposal.

“We don’t want to issue a court order that is not correct,” Letz said.

The question of who was currently in charge of decision-making at the airport 
was raised then by Pct. 1 Commissioner Buster Baldwin. 

“Who makes those decisions today?” Baldwin asked. “I cannot answer that 
question.”

“You are making those decisions,” said airport board member Granger 
McDonald, the county’s appointee.

McDonald said the advisory board made recommendations that were ultimately 
ratified by the city and county. He said an airport authority would have power 
to make decisions on management of the airport.

“There’s lots of things that could generate income that are not being 
done,” McDonald said.

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