Storm Lake city officials want the municipal airport to do more with less — but airport commissioners say the facility provides services to the region that go well beyond its bottom line.
The Storm Lake City Council met jointly with the Storm Lake Municipal Airport Commission Monday evening for a work session as the city begins preparing its fiscal year 2027-28 budget. The discussion focused on the airport’s finances, maintenance, safety and opportunities to generate more revenue.
A major concern was the airport’s proposed share of the city’s local option sales tax revenue for the next fiscal year. The request exceeds 15% of that revenue, prompting council members to question how the airport’s needs compare with those of other city departments being asked to find savings.
Airport Commissioner Gary Worthan acknowledged that increasing revenue will be difficult.
Commissioners said they have increased some hangar rental rates and lowered the markup on fuel from $2 per gallon to $1.25 to remain competitive. Worthan said the airport lost a major fuel customer after a local business purchased a larger aircraft that could no longer be kept in Storm Lake and was moved to Sioux City.
But commissioners argued that the airport’s value extends beyond its finances. An informal review of aircraft activity from October 2025 through October 2026 recorded 60 business-aircraft operations during business hours. Worthan estimated that 19 involved doctors visiting the area for appointments or clinics, while seven were medical flights. He said the figures may not capture all activity because the tracking was informal and did not cover every hour.
Worthan said aircraft arriving from other cities support local businesses.
Council member Maggie Martinez also emphasized the airport’s potential importance to families needing medical care.
Council members raised concerns about the airport’s condition and oversight during a discussion of a recent visit. Issues included fire extinguishers that were not up to date, evidence of smoking near flammable materials, worn terminal carpeting, a dirty kitchenette and maintenance-area concerns. Officials said the fire extinguisher issue was corrected within a few weeks of being identified.
Questions also arose about four aircraft stored in a hangar listed on monthly reports as having no rented spaces. Officials said the aircraft belong to Bart’s Flying Service Inc., the airport’s fixed-base operator managed by Jim “Bart” Bartholomew, but the discussion did not establish details of the rental arrangements and raised questions about whether the city is receiving all appropriate revenue.
Martinez questioned whether the airport was collecting all the revenue it should.
Council members said collecting revenue where it is owed, a clearer accounting of airport operations and improving routine upkeep could help address some of the airport’s problems without requiring major capital spending.
Commissioners stressed that maintaining the airport’s weather reporting equipment and runway approach lighting is essential for aircraft operations, particularly medical flights in poor weather. They said those needs have taken priority over cosmetic improvements to the terminal, which has not received major investment since it was built in the 1970s.
The council did not make a funding decision Monday. Instead, airport representatives were asked to revisit their capital improvement plans, look for efficiencies and provide more information as the city moves through its budget process.
