The Pitkin County Board of Commissioners and Our Airport Our Vote continue their power struggle over decision-making at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport.

Pitkin County Commissioners have unanimously voted to move up the “Our Airport Our Vote” ballot date from November 5, subject to some changes.

Our Airport Our Vote, an issues committee working with key stakeholders in Citizens Against Bigger Planes, collected enough petition signatures earlier this month to put its own question on the ballot. The group’s next step was to get the ballot title approved by the commission’s committee on first reading on August 14.

The ballot question seeks to amend the Home Rule Charter, Pitkin County’s governing document, to limit county officials’ authority to extend or relocate runways at the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport beyond the dimensions and locations in place on Jan. 1 without voter approval. It also clearly defines the term “runway.”

The original ballot title, proposed by Pitkin County Attorney Richard Neiley, read: “Shall the Pitkin County Charter be amended to limit the authority of the County Board of Commissioners to approve any extension or relocation of runways of the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport beyond the runway dimensions and locations existing on January 1, 2024, unless the voters of Pitkin County approve such extension or relocation in accordance with the provisions of BOCC Resolution No. ___ – 2024?”

The new amendments remove the statement “in accordance with the provisions of BOCC Resolution No. ___ – 2024?”

Chuck Butler, a member of Our Airport Our Vote and a founding member of Citizens Against Bigger Planes, called for the change because the wording could potentially confuse voters.

“There was a lot of back and forth today because it was unclear whether it was about our action or the board’s action,” he said during the public hearing. “The process was at least educational and a lot of fun. I’m very proud of what we’ve done in giving a voice to a silent majority over the last three, six months. I think we’ve done a very fair, honest and transparent movement.”

In her own public statement, Jackie Merril, a 35-year-old Pitkin County employee, said the county commission may be committing political suicide.

“Who is going to see this as anything other than a blatant, clumsy power struggle on the part of the Commission?” she said. “And if that is not the case, we still have a lot of work to do.”

Commissioner Francie Jacober disagreed about the power struggle. As commissioner, she feels responsible to the Federal Aviation Administration and the state of Colorado.

“I will, of course, vote to correct that language … that is my duty,” she said. “But I want to make sure people understand that I don’t like doing that because, as a county commissioner, I am responsible for making decisions about operations and administrative matters at the airport.”

She also said that it was the commission’s job to monitor contracts with all federal agencies.

“It’s also our responsibility to be accountable for the contracts we signed with the FAA in the grant commitments when we were recently given up to $12 million and said we would be the ones making these decisions about the airport,” she said. “So the state and the FAA told us that was our responsibility. So by asking us not to take on that responsibility, you’re asking us to break our contracts with the FAA and violate state law.”

On the other hand, it was voted unanimously to bring forward to a second reading by the committee the Commissioners’ voting question, which was given a first reading during the committee meeting on Wednesday.

The purpose of the vote is to amend Article II of the county’s governing document, the Home Rule Charter, to give Pitkin County sole authority to approve and implement the physical layout and associated regulatory plan for the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport.

The issue was first discussed at a special meeting of the board on Tuesday.

During the public hearing at Wednesday’s meeting, several Aspen residents, including Mayor Torre, continued to express concern that commissioners would frame this ballot question as a power struggle.

However, not everyone agreed.

“I was really surprised when I heard people characterize what the commissioners are trying to do here. Opponents are suggesting that this is somehow undemocratic,” said Greg Goldfarb, an Aspen resident. “I think it’s really important to make clear that once again the will of the people was not taken into account. There was an initiative proposed that will go to the vote in November, and the commissioners put an initiative on the vote for November. These are two democratic votes.”

After public comments closed, Commissioner Patti Clapper said the panel’s ballot question was not a retaliation for the “Our Airport Our Vote” ballot question, but a response to it.

A second reading is scheduled for August 28.