Vote counts show support for debt increase to fund Pitkin airport construction

Editor’s note: The Aspen Times will continue to update vote tallies as results are counted.

As of 7:05 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, with a 42.59% voter turnout, Pitkin County ballot issue 1A saw 3,565 votes for the issue, or 62.83%, and 2,109 votes against, or 37.17%.

The issue asks voters to approve an increase in debt by up to $340 million to pay for the renovation and construction required to complete the airport modernization project. The project includes a larger and redesigned terminal alongside a new runway. 

The increase in debt would not require an increase in taxes for Pitkin County voters, as the bond would be paid for using the airport’s enterprise fund, which gets its funds from the fixed-based operator lease and airport fees. Much of the runway will be reconstructed using federal funds, but the remaining costs for the terminal will need local funding. 

Proponents for the issue emphasized that it is not a tax and will not raise cost burdens for Pitkin County voters. They point out that 67% of voters in the last election voted to retain the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners’ power over airport decisions, specifically the modernization project, and this funding will allow them to take important steps toward construction and renovation. 

Opponents argued that Aspen/Pitkin County Airport should not be reconstructed to accommodate bigger planes that could create more pollution and bring more traffic into the valley.