News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Upper Cumberland Regional Airport Board will consider a revised version of their upcoming 2019-2020 fiscal year budget Tuesday.
Airport Manager Dean Selby said he made some minor adjustments to the budget after receiving feedback from the rest of the Board in last month’s meeting.
“We just moved some stuff around on the budget, went in and tweaked a few areas that they mayors had some concern with, and changed some numbers around,” Selby said. “I tried to tighten it up in areas where we can and get it more in-line with what they were requesting us to be at. We’ll just be reviewing my changes to see if it’s acceptable and what they’re looking for.”
Selby said the biggest change from the previous year will be asking Cookeville, Sparta, Putnam County, and White County governments for a slight increase in funding contributions. The funds would be used to help cover local grant matches on various projects associated with the airport.
“The actual budget number that they contribute just to the normal day-to-day use changed just a little bit, but it’s real close,” Selby said. “It’s within a couple thousand dollars this year of being the same each year if this is what we end up going with. The local grant match is what I’m looking for a change in this year just to kind of help with the local share of that grant money.”
Selby said the new budget also includes contributions from country singer Aaron Tippin who will open a warbird restoration business at the airport in the near future.
“The Tennessee Flying Machines hangar will be paid by him, so there will be no local match on that. He is actually taking care of that,” Selby said. “The only other ones we’ve got… we’ve got some equipment that’s needing to be replaced, and I’m asking for some help with the grant match money, the local share, of that.”
The Board previously voted to hold off on passing the budget during their February meeting due to formatting errors and continued discussion on Tippin’s lease agreement.
