Cherokee County Airport Expansion Moves Forward with NET RMA Priority Project Grant

Nov. 13—Long-awaited plans to expand Cherokee County Airport are getting a boost with a unique program by the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NET RMA) to allocate funds generated from Toll 49 revenues for regional transportation projects.

NET RMA has funded dozens of priority projects in its 14-member counties to increase mobility in East Texas, as well as enhance lives and economic development. The agency is awarding a $125,000 grant to Cherokee County Airport that will help with the construction of a new taxiway, pad sites and new hangers.

"This expansion project is critical for both the airport and Cherokee County economic development," says James Hubbard, Jacksonville City Manager and Chairman of the Airport Advisory Committee. "The airport has a $10 million annual impact to the region as a whole and supports dozens of industries throughout the region."

"The airport serves a vital role in our community by local businesses that utilize the airport to able to fly to businesses that they may own around the area or even out of state," says Clint Goff, Manager of Cherokee County Airport. "Those businesses depend on our operation to be able to conduct business."

According to Goff, there is a long waiting list of corporations and individuals looking to build hangers at Cherokee County Airport but the facility doesn't have space for them currently.

"The NET RMA grant will mainly be used for a hangar development plan which will include site and grading plans, drainage improvement, as well as pavement access for future hangers to be built on the airport," says Goff. "We want to make sure that we have proper planning in place so that we can develop the airport, not only for this generation but also for the future."

NET RMA's Long-Range Planning Committee approved Cherokee County's grant application after scoring it based upon several key factors: regional significance, local and political support, local financial support, economic development potential, and potential revenue production.

"We appreciate how NET RMA understands transportation is a lot more than roads," added James Hubbard. "Rail and airport project are also important to the economic vitality of East Texas. The fact that NET RMA is giving back to Cherokee County and the counties that utilize Toll 49 is huge. This grant is the spark we needed to get the airport expansion project off the ground and it's going to benefit pilots, businesses and the entire region tremendously."

The NET RMA is an independent government agency created to accelerate the development of transportation projects in North East Texas. Our mission is to implement transportation solutions that will enhance the quality of life and the economic environment in our area. The NET RMA is governed by a 21-member board of directors that represent each of the member counties: Bowie, Kaufman, Cass, Camp, Cherokee, Gregg, Harrison, Panola, Rusk, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Wood and Van Zandt. Texas RMAs were made possible through an initiative passed by the State Legislature in 2001. The NET RMA was established in October 2004. For more information visit, NETRMA.org.

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