Can Oconee afford to build a new airport hangar?

During a budget discussion, Oconee County council members found no clear avenue to being able to afford the construction of a new hangar at the airport. There’s now a waiting list of between 60 and 70 airplane owners to park their craft. But the council heard an estimate in the neighborhood of $1 million to build a 10-bay hangar. District Two’s Wayne McCall, a champion for airport expansion, introduced the idea of a special bond to create the hangar construction, but County Administrator Scott Moulder said the payback would send the airport into a level of debt which airport revenue numbers could not justify. Moulder told the council that airport revenues are just now approaching its expenses. According to McCall, however, the airport is a potential economic development creator for the county, especially if the airport is able to accommodate corporate jet planes. But Moulder replied the only way to do that is to extend the runway which would require the re-location of part of Shiloh Road.