Sublease surcharge at county airports eliminated

The sublease surcharge for airports owned and operated by the county of San Diego has been eliminated.

A 4-0 San Diego County Board of Supervisors vote Dec. 10, with Kristin Gaspar absent, eliminated the surcharge for commercial subleases. The supervisors' action also found the elimination of the sublease surcharge to be categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review.

"After looking at similar airports, we decided to get rid of the unnecessary charge," said Supervisor Jim Desmond. "By eliminating the surcharge we hope to spur additional growth and business opportunities."

The county totally has 42 leases at its airports consisting of four at Fallbrook Community Airpark along with 17 at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, 14 at McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, three apiece at Ramona Airport and Borrego Valley Airport, and one at Jacumba Airport. The county also owns and operates Agua Caliente Springs Airport and Ocotillo Airport.

The county's traditional aviation lease agreements had included a surcharge of typically 5 percent for commercial subleases at the county's airports. In February 2010 the county approved lease amendments for the 17 Gillespie Field leaseholders which included a tiered rental increase from 2010 to 2019 to phase the rent back up to market rate, and the county supervisors also suspended the sublease surcharge through Nov. 30, 2019, to help the lessees absorb the rent increases.

Rather than reinstating the sublease surcharge the county opted to eliminate the surcharge at all airports. San Diego International Airport does not have a sublease surcharge, and the City of San Diego does not have such a surcharge for its Montgomery Field and Brown Field airports.

The elimination of the surcharge will cost the county approximately $190,000 annually although county staff and the Board of Supervisors members believe that eliminating the surcharge will likely foster additional growth and business opportunities.