The Greeneville-Greene County Airport Authority held a budget workshop meeting Monday to determine the availability of funds for the runway realignment project at the Greeneville-Greene County Municipal Airport.

Airport Authority members compared the airport's preliminary budget figures with an airport budget prepared by the Greeneville recorder's office.

Authority Chairman Janet Malone said near the meeting's end that she will adjust the Airport Authority's budget figures so they can be finalized at a second budget workshop.

The Airport Authority has not been operating under an annual budget. It does review monthly financial statements provided by the recorder's office of Greeneville, the airport's fiscal agent.

According to the preliminary budgets reviewed Monday, the airport is projecting expenses totaling an estimated $45,843 more than the expenses projected by the city government.

The majority of the difference is related to extra maintenance expenses that were budgeted by the Airport Authority but not by the city.

The budget workshop was held after a brief regular meeting of the Airport Authority in which the board welcomed back Walter Johnson, its former chairman, as a member.

Johnson was appointed to the board by the Greene County Commission to fill the vacancy left after the death of Chairman Don Henard in May.

The board also voted to pay a $2,250 invoice to Miller Appraisals for the appraisal of three properties to be purchased as part of the runway realignment project.

The board in its regular meeting also heard positive reports about the Wings and Wheels On the Greene fly-in and car show held this weekend at the airport.

In the budget workshop, the Airport Authority reviewed preliminary budget figures to determine the availability of funds for the runway realignment project.

The total runway realignment project is expected to take about five years to complete and to cost an estimated $15 million.

The first phase is estimated to cost $4 million, of which $3.6 million is being paid for with state grant funds.

The remaining $400,000 must be paid with local matching funds.

A previous funding proposal from the Airport Authority involved allocations of $80,000 from the Airport Authority and $160,000 each from the Greeneville and Greene County governments for the local match of the first phase.

The city, however, has not included the $160,000 in this year's budget and has expressed support for a bond secured by the Airport Authority to pay for the project.

Officials from the Greeneville and Greene County governments and the Airport Authority met Sept. 11 to discuss the funding options in a roundtable setting with financial advisors.

Authority Chairman Malone said the Airport Authority wants to keep enough reserve funds for future projects that will increase the airport's revenue streams.

The runway realignment project is designed to correct two major safety concerns -- a "hump" near the runway's center that has caused a line-of-sight problem for pilots and inadequate safety areas on both sides and on the end of the runway.

Airport Authority member Bill Dabbs led the budget workshop comparing line items of the two budgets from the Airport Authority and the town.

"A lot of it does match up," Dabbs said, adding that there were some differences in the two documents.

In revenues, the city budgeted $17,000 for fuel flow, while the Airport Authority budgeted $14,450.

Chairman Malone said the lower projection is based on a drop in fuel sales this year because of the struggling economy.

Also in revenues, the city budgeted $6,000 for the annual maintenance grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), but Malone said she had learned that the correct amount is $18,000.

The other revenue line items matched, leaving a total difference of $9,450. Revenues budgeted by the town totaled $342,940, and revenues budgeted by the Airport Authority totaled $352,290.

In expenditures, the biggest difference was in airport maintenance and residential maintenance. The airport authority budgeted a total of $68,325 for two maintenance items, including $53,300 for airport maintenance and $12,325 for residential maintenance on the rental house owned by the airport.

The city did not budget funds for the residential maintenance and budgeted $2,700 for airport maintenance.

Recorder Jim Warner said the city's budget was based on the airport's expenditures in the past 10 years, and maintenance has never been as high what is being projected.

He said in "tough economic times" everyone is having to tighten their budgets and make priorities for spending.

Warner noted that the previous chairman's priorities were the correction of the safety issues included in the runway realignment project.

Malone said the airport has several building maintenance issues that have to be addressed.

She said an engineering flaw in the doors of the new T-hangars could be a liability for the airport and must be repaired at an estimated cost of $6,000.

Malone added that the Airport Authority will set priorities, and the preliminary maintenance line items "are not set in stone."

Warner noted that the Airport Authority will be receiving a $20,000 TDOT grant for a previous paving project, which will be added to the budget.

Malone said the rental house needs repair to its bathroom floor, ceiling, exterior and other areas with termite and water damage.

She noted that the renters have expressed interest in purchasing the house, and the Airport Authority should consider selling it to eliminate the maintenance expense.

Malone said she will check with TDOT on the requirements for selling the rental house and include it on the agenda for the next regular meeting.

In other expenditures, the city budgeted $18,000 for utilities, while the Airport Authority budgeted $18,718.

The city budgeted $1,000 for supplies, and the Airport Authority budgeted $1,500.

The other expenditure line items matched, leaving a total difference of $65,843, not counting the $20,000 TDOT grant. Expenditures budgeted by the city totaled $261,659, and expenditures budgeted by the Airport Authority totaled $327,502.

The city's budget showed revenues exceeding expenditures in the amount of $81,281.

The Airport Authority budget showed revenues exceeding expenditures in the amount of $24,888.