Airport funding would be a first.

Byline: LARRY BACON The Register-Guard

Coos County voters will decide in the Nov. 5 general election whether to form the state's first airport taxing district to assume responsibility for the North Bend Airport, the only airport on the south coast with scheduled passenger service.

The airport and the adjacent 95-acre business park are owned by the city of North Bend but an agreement with the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay transferred operating responsibility to the port in 1999.

At that time, city officials said North Bend no longer had the financial resources to pay for airport operations that had become increasingly expensive because of new federal safety standards.

Port management of the airport has been supported with a five-year, $300,000 per year port district levy that expires in June 2004.

Port and city officials as well as members of the Coos County business community have been looking for better and more stable funding. In June of this year the North Bend City Council asked the county commissioners to put the airport district measure on the November ballot.

"It's been going on a shoestring for years," North Bend Mayor John Briggs said.

If the new district is approved, property tax revenue is expected to be in excess of $700,000 per year. The district would be managed by an elected five-member board whose candidates are also on the general election ballot. Voters will choose from a slate of 18 candidates.

The mayor said he would like to see the terminal eventually upgraded to be comparable to those in Eugene and Medford. Port officials said additional revenue is needed to improve the business park to attract new tenants who will generate revenue to help offset the costs of aviation operations.

Briggs said it makes sense for the whole county to support the airport because it serves people throughout the county as well as those in western Douglas and Curry counties.

"Continued commercial air service is vital to sustain the economic climate we have and give us any hope of significant economic development down the road," said Doug Fletcher of North Bend, leader of Friends of New and Sustainable Industry, an economic development organization that has mounted a "Save our Airport" campaign.

So far there has been no organized opposition to the measure, but the city of Powers unsuccessfully sought to be excluded from the district because officials said the city was too far away from the airport to benefit.

North Bend City Administrator Jan Willis said the City Council has indicated a willingness to negotiate with the new board for transfer of the airport to the new district.

Willis said she is confident the port will terminate its tax levy for the airport once the district is approved and starts levying taxes.

MEASURE 6-92

PROPOSED BY: City of North Bend. Put on the ballot by Coos County Commissioners at city's request.

WHAT IT WOULD DO: Create a countywide airport district that would have a permanent property tax levy to support operation of the North Bend Airport, now owned by the city and managed by the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay. The levy would generate $736,325 the first year. A five-member board of directors elected by the public would oversee operation of the district.

WHAT IT WOULD COST: If formed, the district would have a permanent tax rate of 24 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. That would mean an added $24 per year in taxes on a $100,000 home.

CAPTION(S):

ELECTION