Victoria County officials pass resolution supporting for shared-power airport board model
Published: Tue, 01/24/23
Victoria County officials pass resolution supporting for shared-power airport board model
On Monday, Victoria County commissioners passed a resolution in support of allowing both city and county officials to appoint members to a new Victoria Regional Airport board.
Contributed photo
Victoria Advocate
By Leo Bertucci | lbertucci@vicad.com
January 23, 2023
A proposal calling for Victoria’s city and county leaders to share the power to appoint members to a new airport board received unanimous support from the Commissioners Court on Monday.
The resolution passed includes provisions for the creation of a steering committee, which would establish standards for the Victoria Regional Airport board. The steering committee would, among other things, decide the number of members the board would consist of.
Members of the steering committee would be appointed by city and county officials.
Victoria County Judge Zeller said the resolution the commissioners agreed to support does not call for the formation of an advisory committee.
An airport management consulting firm hired by the county recommended the establishment of an advisory committee in its presentation delivered to the commissioners last week.
The previous airport commission dissolved last month, per the terms of its charter.
Buddy Billups, a 14-year member of the former airport commission, said he supported the resolution, calling it a “win-win deal.”
“This will double the financial capacity and it allows us to leverage the federal dollars available to us,” Billups said. “With the type of management we have in place, with (airport Director Lenny Llerena), we can get those dollars.”
Billups also told county leaders they should select an airport commissioner candidate who has experience with running a business. He mentioned experience with financial and personnel management and an understanding of construction costs and regulatory oversight as qualifications for the position.
“There’s just so much involved in running an airport that we really need to have commissioners on this new airport board who are business-oriented,” Billups said.
The City Council plans to discuss the resolution passed by the county during a special meeting Thursday at noon.
In other business, the Commissioners Court approved the creation of a part-time receptionist position at the Victoria County Veterans Services Office.
“Adding more assistance to the Veterans Service Office would help the county better serve our veterans community,” Zeller said Friday.