The Aviation and Transit Department is providing its proposed Fiscal Year 2021 budget for City Council consideration.  Given the unknown impacts to particularly the Airport's budget, special focus will be placed on discussing how the staff anticipates the next Fiscal Year to unfold.  Staff recommends that Council review the presentation and consider approval of the proposed Aviation and Transit budget at a later date as part of the City's overall budget.

The Aviation Division of the Aviation and Transit Department operates and maintains the City of Billings Logan International Airport, providing the facilities for commercial service airline operators to offer transportation for travelers utilizing the Airport's Terminal Building.  In the past, over 900,000 travelers per year have utilized the facility.  Other businesses and activities located at the Airport include car rentals, restaurant/deli/lounge, gift shop, public parking, a Fixed Base Operator (FBO), radio/avionics repair shops, executive hangars, a general aviation hangar complex, air freight/mail operators, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as well as numerous other State and Federal agencies.  The Airport operation is a self-supporting Enterprise Fund that does not receive any General Fund or tax revenue support.  Airline landing fees, as well as tenant concession, rental, and lease revenues offset the costs to operate and maintain the Airport facilities.

The Transit Division of the Aviation and Transit Department is responsible for providing Fixed Route bus and Paratransit van transportation service for the City's citizens.  This service meets a significant percentage of the mobility needs for those citizens without access to private transportation (referred to as transit-dependent citizens), particularly young, elderly, low income, or citizens with disabilities.

Both the Aviation and Transit Divisions have been impacted by the events of the COVID-19 Pandemic.  For the Fiscal Year 2021 proposed budget, staff will discuss further how the pandemic's fiscal impacts will be mitigated with grants received through the CARES Act.

• City Council will have the opportunity to review the budget presentation and determine if the budget may be approved as set forth; or
• City Council may ask staff to make adjustments to the budget after being educated by the Department's budget information.

The City Council's approval of the Aviation and Transit budget for Fiscal Year 2021 will allow the Airport and the MET Transit to continue to operate during that Fiscal Year.  Airport's overall budget request totals $42,101,044 and the MET Transit's budget request is $7,477,335.