Some Pulaski County officials are open to the idea of privatizing Arens Field, but there would be a number of obstacles that would have to be overcome before that could happen.
During this month’s joint county council and commissioners meeting, Council Member Rudy DeSabatine noted that Bluebird Ag has expressed interest in buying or leasing their airport for months. And with the airport manager position currently vacant, he thought now would be a good time to consider it.
Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer estimated that selling the airport could result in $30,000 to $50,000 in net savings for the county, plus the added benefit of putting the property back on the tax rolls. Mr. DeSabatine is absolutely right,” Origer said. “The economic benefits that the airport may have had once upon a time don’t really seem to be there for the county at large anymore, and if I may be frank, it’s basically a way for the taxpayers to subsidize people with private jets and people who have their crops dusted.”
But he said that any move toward privatization would require agreement from several different groups. While the airport’s budget ultimately falls under the county council’s jurisdiction, it’s actually governed by its own board of aviation commissioners. The Town of Winamac also has a one-third ownership stake.
Beyond that, officials would also have to make sure that any arrangement wouldn’t require the county to pay back hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money to the FAA.
