The Vicksburg-Tallulah Regional Airport’s operational budget is running on fumes, and on Tuesday its board gathered more than a dozen representatives of the four municipal owners together at the Mound, La., facility to ask for an extra $25,000 each for the remainder of the year.

“We’re looking at the numbers and telling you right now, it doesn’t look good,” said Dan Fordice, one of five board members and the appointee for Warren County.

All four owners — Vicksburg, Warren County, Tallulah and Madison Parish — have subsidized the regional airport’s operation equally since inking a 25-year operational agreement in 1983. The airport opened in 1993 and has been enlarged and improved several times since.

Each owner budgeted about $30,000 for operations this year, and another $96,000 to match grants for capital projects. VTR’s capital projects fund is relatively flush compared to the operational budget, which has already been overspent. Before the meeting, Warren County Administrator John Smith said the county has already sent $36,000 to the airport for operational expenses. Vicksburg Accountant Doug Whittington said next month’s check for expenses will also put the year-to-date operational costs above the $30,000 budgeted for the year.

None of the owners’ representatives provided much insight into whether they’d be willing to OK the additional funds. All agreed to take up the issue at their respective meetings after the VTR board has officially made a request for more operational cash. The Warren County Board of Supervisors and Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen both meet next on Monday.

The cast-strapped situation is a rerun of the scenario seen last year at VTR. Board members told owners they could budget $30,000 for annual operational costs, but ended up needing $55,000 from each. Fordice said that was due to poor fuel sales and ongoing construction that left the airport closed periodically.

“I couldn’t have imagined it would have cost $55,000 each last year, but it did,” Fordice said. “Fuel sales just went away during the second part of the year.”

In 2008, the airport generated $830,000, but in 2009 revenues totaled just $380,000 — of which the four owners provided $220,000. He said anticipated revenue for the current year will likely match last year, and may be slightly higher.

Fuel sales drive the majority of revenue for the airport. Whittington pointed out VTR is commonly about 40 cents cheaper per gallon than the majority of regional competitors, including the Vicksburg Municipal Airport on U.S. 61 South funded by the City of Vicksburg.

“Fuel sales are 85 percent of your revenue,” said Whittington. “I’m wondering why we can’t charge a little more for fuel?”

Fordice acknowledged VTR might increase revenue if it raised its fuel prices, but said any increase in per-gallon profits would likely be offset by lower volume sales.

“It’s a very, very competitive market out there,” he said. “I think we’ve got a good strategy. We’re making more money on fuel now that we ever have in the past few years.”

In a meeting that lasted an hour and 20 minutes, some attendees — including Vicksburg North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield and Warren County Board of Supervisors President Richard George — did not speak at all. Fordice and Vicksburg’s board representative Bennie Terrell handled the pitch for the extra cash and answered what few questions about operations the owners had.

“I know these are some pretty tough times for all of you, but this is what we think we’re going to need to get through the remainder of the year,” Terrell said.

Vicksburg also supports operation of the 60-year-old Vicksburg Municipal Airport on U.S. 61 South, which has seen renewed investment and improvements since being placed back on the list of airports eligible for FAA funding. Tallulah also has Scott Field. None of the airports has commercial service.

Mostly, the questions from the owners representatives had to do with long-range plans at the airport.

“I think we need to see a master plan, a goal as to where we’re heading,” said Tallulah Mayor Eddie Beckwith Jr. “I’d like to see the (VTR) board put together a comprehensive plan and bring it to the owners.”

But Terrell and other board members said it’s the owners who are not giving board members enough direction on airport operations and long range plans.

“I think the shortfall has been owners,” Terrell said. “The owners should be meeting more and directing the board, instead of the board getting the owners together once a year to tell them what’s going on.”

Bill Yerger, Madison Parish representative, agreed, adding, “the only direction I’ve gotten in 15 years is ‘do what you think is right.’ That’s what they tell me.”

Each owner has one appointee to the VTR board, with the fifth member a revolving appointment among the four owners. Along with Fordice, Terrell and Yerger, Thomas Williams is the Tallulah appointee. Anthony Bridgewater is the fifth member, appointed by Madison Parish in the rotation.

Discussion at the end of the meeting turned toward the owners’ original 25-year operational agreement, which expired at the end of 2008 and remains unsigned by Warren County. Former Vicksburg Mayor Laurence Leyens had lobbied the three other owners for a five-year renewal in late 2008, which everyone but Warren County adopted. The county was held out until the summer 2009 mayoral election, which saw Leyens ousted by Mayor Paul Winfield. The county in turn called for approval of another 25-year pact.

All those on hand Tuesday appeared on board with a 25-year commitment, including Winfield, and left it to Warren County Board of Supervisors Attorney Randy Sherard to re-draft the deal and circulate it to the other municipal boards for approval in the coming weeks.

“Whether we like it or not, we’re all in this together,” said Winfield. “As far as I’m concerned, we have to be behind this airport.”

The agreement negotiated by Leyens also had a provision specifying the VTR manager would notify each of the four owners immediately if fuel prices were set at 15 cents or more below the average being charged by regional competitors. Warren County supervisors appeared ready to strike the provision immediately upon its being raised, but Winfield said he believes some kind of provision may need to be further explored.

“Fifteen cents might not be the exact number we’re looking for, but I think we need to take a closer look at what’s happening with prices at different airports before we make a decision either way,” he said.

Winfield and other owner representatives also dismissed a suggestion by Fordice that any actions by the owners should need only majority approval, instead of unanimous consent as the agreement has always stipulated.