MACON, Ga. — The General Assembly has approved its midyear budget for the 2024 fiscal year. All that's left is a signature from the Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
One of the key parts of the bill is funding for airports in rural Georgia.
In the bill, Georgia rural airports would get a chunk of change. The money could go to expanding taxiways, building hangars to attract businesses and their planes or allowing more aircraft to fly in.
At the Perry-Houston County Airport, manager James Marquardt says about 50 flights a day land or take off at the Perry airport, which caters to charter and private flyers. Marquardt says state funding helps them maintain the airport.
"Everything from resurfacing the runway to a new beacon that we're having put it. Like I said the apron, we need security fencing all of that will come into play with the dollars we're able to get," Marquardt said.
Marquardt says his favorite part about working at the airport is working around planes and spending his day doing what he loves. As a flyer himself, he says it's exciting — and has a practical side.
"I use it both for business and for personal use. It puts grandchildren in close proximity. I can be down in Orlando, Florida down there in an hour and a half," Marquardt said.
When they receive money from the county or the Georgia Department of Transportation, Marquardt says they can get new builds started.
"We have a brand new parking ramp or apron what we call it for aircraft for heavy aircraft," Marquardt said.
But there are a ton of other things airports can do with the funds too. For instance, some could build a new hanger to store airplanes, get new security fencing or even resurface the runway.
But the money won't just help them maintain and grow the airport. Marquardt says it can also help with economic development.
"A lot of charter flights in here, we get a lot of private flights in here, we have a lot of businesses very close by. Lays Potato Chip has one of their largest plants here. So does Perdue Chicken," Marquardt said.
In 2022, 13WMAZ reported that the airport's value doubled over 5 years, and created more than $10.8 million of economic impact.
In addition to finalizing the amended fiscal 2024 budget, lawmakers must pass a fiscal 2025 budget. We did reach out to Dublin representative Matt Hatchett who is on the appropriations committee that approves state spending, and he has not gotten back to us.