Legislation that would have enabled county commissioners to establish tax districts to fund local airports failed to pass in a tie vote in the Wyoming House of Representatives. Opponents noted that funds to support airports are now available from Washington, D.C. via the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). In addition, concerns were also raised that new taxes would hurt agricultural and mineral operations in the state. However, an amendment exempting those industries was included in the bill.
Wyoming has 33 airports listed in the FAA’s National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). Nine airports provide commercial service with the rest classified as General Aviation and only 3 are financially self-sufficient. Rep. Sandy Newsome, R-Cody, said ARPA will be “just a shot in the arm” while this bill would have provided a long-term solution for funding airports across the state. Airports are currently funded by their local municipalities.
