Burnet County Commissioners boost funding for airport

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

A project to restore the static airplane display at Burnet Municipal Airport got a big boost Tuesday, March 27, when the Burnet County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to fund $40,000 of the project through unclaimed Pedernales Electric Cooperative capital credits.

Texas Local Government Code Section 381.004 and Texas Property Code Section 74.602 authorize the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts to allocate a portion of unclaimed electric cooperative capital credits back to the counties in the cooperative's service area. Funds may used for one of a limited number of purposes, including to promote or advertise the county and its vicinity or conduct a solicitation program to attract conventions, visitors and businesses. For 2019, the county can apply for up to $330,000 in capital credits from the Comptroller's Office.

On Tuesday, Burnet Mayor Crista Goble Bromley, City Manager David Vaughn and Airport Manager Leslie Baugh appeared before commissioners to ask for assistance in funding the Airport Static Display Restoration Project, which will restore four vintage planes — a T-38, T-37, A-7, and F-100 — which have been at the airport since 1996 and were a pet project of Commemorative Air Force founder Harold Smith, who passed away earlier this year. . . .

Find more on this story in the Tuesday, April 2 issue of The Highlander, the newspaper of record for The Highland Lakes. To offer a comment or news tip, email lew@highlandernews.com.