The 5-4 City Council vote to expand the Kalispell City Airport was perhaps the most contentious vote of the past 30 years. The political philosophies of the council bubbled to the surface in resounding debate. Frankly, both sides of the issue — those who favor expansion and those who favor leaving the airport in its current footprint — have compelling arguments in support of their respective positions. However, for those of us who believe in less government and local control, voting FOR REPEAL is our only option.

As the four council members who voted against expansion, we would like to explain our reasoning.

The city entered into 20-year lease agreements with hangar owners and Red Eagle Aviation in 2004 and 2005. Those lease agreements can be extended by the leaseholders for another 10 years. The terms of the lease agreements are very favorable to the leaseholders, and the leaseholders are not to be faulted for those terms. The promise made by the city is that we will maintain the airport in operational condition until the expiration of the lease agreements. There is no promise for expansion in the lease agreements. 

Contrary to expansionist statements, if the vote FOR REPEAL prevails, all legally existing leases must be honored and the airport will remain open for at least 20 years. The amount of taxpayer contribution necessary to ensure lease obligations are met is debatable, but the amount is not insignificant. This is a liability we inherited and cannot change. If expansion does not occur, this taxpayer commitment ceases in approximately 20 years. If expansion occurs, the taxpayer commitment never ends and the property will remain an airport forever.

Both sides of the debate can argue the numbers; regardless, the fact is the taxpayer will be left subsidizing airport operations. The taxpayers have been subsidizing the airport for years, and with expansion, the subsidy will continue. Assuming city taxpayers will not be obligated to pay for the $16 million expansion (an assumption we believe is specious at best), the ongoing maintenance and operations at the airport will continue to fall on the local taxpayer. The solution proposed is an annual grant from FAA Non-Primary Entitlement Funds (NPE funds) in the amount of $150,000. 

However, again, assuming these NPE monies are appropriated to the city on an annual basis, these NPE funds cannot be used for operations. Fees and lease payments do not cover the costs of operations and never have. Airport operations have always been subsidized by the local taxpayer. This will continue even with expansion. 

One very important catch: every year the city takes the $150,000 NPE funds, the city PROMISES to keep the airport open for another 20 years, whether or not we receive NPE funds for the following 19 years. NPE funds will become to the city of Kalispell what heroin is to the heroin addict; we will be beholden to these funds because we can’t afford to maintain a $16 milion property without annual federal funds. We will have an airport in perpetuity. This is a promise that will bind our children and our grandchildren. Such a promise expands rather than limits the size of government.

If expansion occurs, the city will not be able to dictate hours of operation and usage of the runway; this will be left to the federal government via the FAA 39 assurances. The federal government will in essence manage the city’s (your) property yet you will remain obligated to fund maintenance and operations for them. Expanding the federal government’s footprint in Kalispell undermines any desire for local control and limited government.

If this community is serious about local control and limiting the size of government, hard decisions need to be made. What may appear to be money from heaven in the short term, ultimately binds our children and their money in the long term. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Expansion is an unnecessary pork project of epic proportions. 

If you believe the federal government via the FAA should run the airport, that we should subsidize airport operations with taxpayer funds in perpetuity and that we should be beholden to federal funds forever, vote against repeal. If your core values include a belief that when government governs the least, it governs best, that our children shouldn’t be saddled with financial obligations we make today, and you believe Kalispell should dictate its own fate, vote FOR REPEAL.

Whatever position you take, please vote.

Tammi Fisher is mayor of Kalispell. Tim Kluesner and Phil Guiffrida represent Ward 4 and Robert Hafferman represents Ward 1 on the Kalispell City Council.