It’s not just about the pilots anymore. The Port’s lingering through the fence stalemate is about to impact every Orcas taxpayer.

Under threat of lawsuit by its neighbors, the Port of Orcas Commission prepared its 2010 budget at their November meeting last night with the quiet inclusion of an increased tax take in 2010.

“In all, we’re asking for $208,200 for 2010, which is a big increase over 2009, when we, in deference to the local taxpayers, cut our budget by 40 percent,” airport manager Bea vonTobel said.

Since the last Port of Orcas Commission meeting on Oct. 8, chair Garth Eimers and commissioner Bret Thurman went to Renton to have a sit-down with the FAA.

“I would have to say that they were receptive, polite and understanding,” Eimers said.

Thurman and Eimers agreed that the FAA representatives they met with were well-educated about the dilemma the Port currently has regarding FAA-requested assessment of a fee from Port neighbors for access to the airport. Even so, they related that Carol Sumi of the FAA told them not to expect to receive grant funds until the through the fence issue was resolved.

“We’re not going to get our money if we don’t get our fees,” Thurman said.

Eimers related that, although the FAA could try to recover previously awarded funds if the Port was noncompliant with the grant assurances signed in years past, Sumi could not recall if the FAA ever had.

“The statement I took out of the discussion was unless we close the airport, they would not be coming back to us for the money,” Thurman said.

In the meantime, while the Port is not currently designated noncompliant, it is in danger of that designation, which would bar FAA grant funding for at least three years, and the current grant award is in limbo.

“We’re in a de facto Plan Y,” Thurman said, referring to a proposal presented earlier this year where the Port would operate financially independent of the FAA. Plan Y was never adopted as a formal strategy.

Referring to the 2010 budget, vonTobel described the Port’s decision to take more of the tax available to them as foresight.

“In the capital projects fund in 2009, we asked for $34,000. For 2010, we’ve asked for $113,350, in anticipation of trying to sock away monies, in excess of the $400,000 we already have invested, should the commissioners decide to go it alone (without FAA funding) because the runway/taxiway overlay and ramp improvements will need to be paid for by local tax dollars,” vonTobel said.

Port neighbor Eric Gourley suggested the Port has pilots who would be available volunteers who would give their own labor and resources if needed.

“If there’s a need, they’ll be there to fill the need,” Gourley said.

Thurman told the Islands’ Sounder the tax take is appropriate for the services the airport provides to the public, but he believes the Port needs to do be proactive about sustaining itself.

“I think the Port can do better to generate revenue,” Thurman said.