Lawmaker looking at alternate funding sources for TRAX line

Salt Lake City officials are working to alleviate Delta Air Lines' concerns over how to fund a $35 million portion of a planned light-rail line to the airport.

And the state Legislature may be getting involved, too.

Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble, R-Provo, has opened a file for a bill to seek alternate funding sources to pay for improvements and expansion at Salt Lake City International Airport if the city taps into passenger fees to help build the airport TRAX line.

"I feel strongly those funds need to be (used) for airport expansion," Bramble said.

One way to offset those funds being used for light rail, he said, would be to use hotel tax money for airport upgrades. That doesn't sit well with some members of the Salt Lake County Council, who oversee the collection and use of hotel tax revenue.

"I would hope we can work something out on this," County Councilman Michael Jensen said.

Bramble said the bill's title and intent were made available for public viewing Thursday, although the Legislature's Web site had no record of the proposed legislation as of 6 p.m. Friday.

Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker said he's heard rumors of such a bill being in the works but has not seen or heard any details about it and hasn't discussed the issue with Bramble.

"As far as I know, the state Legislature has never gotten involved in the management of the Salt Lake City airport," Becker said. "Why Sen. Bramble feels the need to insert himself or the state in this discussion, I don't know."

The city, which owns and operates the airport, already is under "very strict oversight and regulatory control" of the Federal Aviation Administration, Becker said.

"(The FAA) looks very closely at things like how airport revenues are used and makes sure that the airport is protected," he said.

At issue is the estimated $35 million funding gap for a light-rail line linking the airport to downtown. Voters approved sales-tax increases to pay for four new TRAX lines — including the six-mile airport line — but it isn't enough to cover construction of the one-mile portion that falls on airport property, said Salt Lake City Council Chairwoman Jill Remington Love.

"Historically, there's been an understanding that the city would be responsible for paying for TRAX as it hits city property at the airport," Love said. "I think it's always been our hope that there would be some airport funds available to pay for (the portion on airport property)."