Washington County, Utah, is set to vote on up to $50 million in bonds backed by tourism sales taxes to fund the expansion of St. George Regional Airport — the largest bond the county has ever proposed.

The bond would close the funding gap on a project with an estimated price tag of roughly $100 million. Funds from the city, the Federal Aviation Administration and the state of Utah are already secured, leaving the county's contribution as the final tranche needed to break ground. Commissioner Gil Almquist said the airport's operator wants its contractor mobilized before construction costs rise further.

The vote could come as early as September 5, following a public hearing scheduled for 4 p.m. County commissioners say changes to the bond package remain possible — it could be widened to include other projects — though Almquist does not consider that likely.

Tourism taxes as the funding instrument

The bond draws on transient room tax (TRT) and transient room capital project tax (TRCC) revenues — levies the county may legally direct toward airports, parks, convention centers, recreation facilities and museums. Commissioners settled on the airport after analyzing which asset would deliver the greatest return for a county projecting sustained visitor growth over the next 20 to 30 years.

"I was on St. George City Council when we put the airport out off of Southern Parkway, where it is now, but even then it was foretold not to be big enough," Almquist said. "It's just going from let's say our teenage years to our college graduate years as far as airports go."

The county had considered steering the bond toward two competing projects: an expansion of the frequently booked-out Dixie Convention Center, or the Legacy Park Equestrian and Events Center. Officials say additional savings and tax revenue can still support those initiatives without the bond proceeds.

"You prioritize your needs, and when we analyzed it, the airport was easily rose to the top as far as what would be the most beneficial to the county and its citizens," Almquist said.

Capacity constraint gating airline interest

The central argument for the expansion is capacity. St. George Regional has quadrupled its passenger count over the past decade, according to KUTV's prior reporting, and commissioners say the existing facility cannot accommodate additional carriers or destinations.

"We find the essential need is to have the airport expansion for airlines that would like to come here, providing extra travel opportunities for our locals, lowering costs, and of course providing more flights to different destinations, but we can't do that out of the existing airport," Almquist said.

The commissioner said major airlines — none named in the source material — have asked to serve St. George, which would give the airport connectivity across the United States and, potentially, globally. He also framed the expansion as an economic development tool, citing inquiries from commercial businesses weighing locations in the county.

"A lot of businesses ask us, 'How do we get there? How do our people get there? We're a worldwide company. We want to be able to travel and things like that,'" Almquist said.

Residents back the airport over alternatives

Local reaction reported by KUTV favors the airport over competing uses of the bond. Emily Butler, a resident of nearby Hurricane, described access to Washington County as "horrendous," noting travelers currently shuttle to Las Vegas — roughly 120 miles southwest — for wider route offerings and lower fares.

"I wish they could handle the increase on their own so it doesn't hurt the people here in Washington County and our taxes," Butler said. "It's just one of those things that I think we have to take that hit to handle the growth that's happening here."

She argued the airport will outperform the convention center alternative in public benefit, noting few residents regularly use such facilities, and predicted the expansion will create jobs across age groups.

"I definitely think the expansion in the airport will increase employment with our youth, college kids and adults alike. It will create more jobs and therefore giving people more opportunity to afford to live here," Butler said.

What is funded versus what is promised

The financial architecture of the project is concrete: roughly $100 million in total cost, with city, FAA and state money committed and the county bond supplying the balance. The operational outcomes — new carriers, lower fares, broader domestic and international connectivity — remain projections tied to unnamed airline interest, contingent on the expanded facility coming online.

If commissioners approve the bond on September 5, the county will have assembled the full funding stack for a project designed to serve three decades of projected growth in one of the fastest-growing corners of Utah.