Comprehensive Report for Shawnee County / Topeka Taxpayers Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority (MTAA): A Taxing Authority That Is “Crazy Expensive,” Opaque, and Unaccountable Prepared April 2026 – Based on Official 2026 Budget, Audits, Court Documents, and Public Records
Dear Fellow Taxpayers,
The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority (MTAA) owns and operates Topeka Regional Airport (Forbes Field) and Philip Billard Municipal Airport. It is a separate political and taxing subdivision of the State of Kansas (K.S.A. 27-327 et seq.) that levies an ad valorem property tax mill levy on every Shawnee County / Topeka property owner.
Its 5-member board is 100% appointed — 3 seats by the Mayor (with City Council approval) and 2 seats by the Shawnee County Commissioners. There are no direct elections. This report shows why that structure has produced chronic operating losses, skyrocketing personnel costs, prolonged litigation with serious transparency red flags, and heavy reliance on federal grants while local taxpayers foot the day-to-day bill.
The numbers are “crazy expensive.” We deserve better: either full privatization (run the airports like a business) or an elected MTAA board (true “no taxation without representation”). Below is every verified fact from official sources.
1. Governance & Oversight
- Board (appointed, not elected): Chair Michael Munson, Vice-Chair Samuel Sutton, Secretary Brian Armstrong, Carlos Cortez, Michael Odupitan (terms through Nov. 2026).
- Your elected officials hold the power: Mayor Spencer Duncan (appoints 3 seats), City Councilperson Karen Hiller (approves the 3 City seats), and County Commissioner Kevin Cook (appoints the 2 County seats).
- MTAA must follow Kansas Open Meetings Act and Open Records Act, but day-to-day accountability flows only through these appointees. Most Kansas taxing entities (schools, cities, counties, special districts) are elected. Appointed boards are the rare exception — and exactly why problems persist.
2. 2026 Official Budget – The Taxpayer Hit
From the newly filed 2026 Adopted Budget (certified to Shawnee County Clerk, exceeds revenue-neutral rate):
General Fund (main operating fund)
- Expenditures: $12,179,073
- Ad valorem tax levy (your property taxes): $5,279,625 at 2.176 mills (above the 2.141 revenue-neutral rate)
- Self-generated non-tax income: ~$3,945,240 (leases/rents $2.5M, fees $256k, reimbursements $549k, interest $120k)
- Personnel costs: $5,501,745 (largest line item — up from $5.19M in 2025 estimate and $4.56M actual 2024)
Non-budgeted (grant-funded) capital projects (2024 actuals shown in budget): $13.48 million in receipts/expenditures, almost entirely FAA/DOD grants for TOP Terminal, Fuel Farm, Taxiway A&D, Snow Removal Equipment, Passenger Boarding Bridge, etc.
Debt: Zero.
Bottom line: Your ~$5.28 million annual mill levy subsidizes 45–57% of operations year after year. Self-generated revenue has never come close to covering expenses.
3. Personnel & Operations
~40–49 full-time employees. Key public roles: Eric Johnson (President), Curtis Sneden (Development), Laura Hartley (Admin/Finance), Col. John Ross & Maj. Chris Ortega (Police/Fire), Terry Poley (Maintenance), Don Loyd (Fuel).
Police & Fire is the largest cost center because of FAA-mandated 24/7 Aircraft Rescue & Firefighting (ARFF). Forbes Field is joint-use with the Kansas Air National Guard’s 190th Air Refueling Wing (KC-135 tankers, potential KC-46). The military presence raises the FAA ARFF Index — requiring bigger vehicles and more on-duty staff. Military side funds its own fire/security; MTAA’s costs are for civilian certification (which unlocks federal grants).
4. Capital Projects & Federal Grants
- Philip Billard New Terminal: General contractor Icon Structures (Wichita) — $4,669,000 contract (lowest bid, awarded Oct. 2022). Funded by federal CARES Act + Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) — zero local tax dollars for construction. Opened 2024.
- Forbes Field: $30M+ in federal AIP/CARES/BIL grants since 2020 for runways, taxiways, fuel farm, ARFF truck ($870k), north apron ($5.986M in 2026), etc. DOD/190th ARW matching funds also appear.
Federal money builds the shiny stuff. Your taxes keep the lights on.
5. The Active Lawsuit & Transparency Failures
Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority v. Rural Development Corporation (Shawnee County Case No. 2019-CV-816)
- Filed 2019 over a February 3, 2016 lease for Building 281 — still active 7+ years later.
- MTAA retained digital forensics expert Michael Snodgrass (INS Professionals LLC).
- Feb. 20, 2025 Deposition (by defense counsel Bryan W. Smith): Snodgrass testified on his CV and findings.
- Forensic Report (Exhibit 29, dated 01/15/2021): Analyzed two lease versions. Original MTAA file (“1925.01 Bldg 281 Lease.doc”) last modified by Jane Young on Dec. 3, 2015. RDC-produced “revised” version shows attorney Bryan Smith modified it on Feb. 2, 2016 — yet its “Last Printed” date remains Dec. 3, 2015. Snodgrass concluded it “does not appear possible” the revised document produced the printed lease. This raises serious questions about document authenticity and discovery.
Citizen Carol Marple highlighted similar issues at the February 2026 Shawnee County Commission meeting regarding the separate Zebell judgment (~$1.8–2 million owed to longtime tenant Bob Zebell, entered Dec. 2025). She cited lack of transparency, potential abuse of power, high manager salaries, holiday parties with alcohol, and taxpayer exposure.
Legal services already exceeded $93k in 2023; this case and the Zebell matter add expert fees, attorney hours, and staff time — all ultimately subsidized by your mill levy.
6. The Private Real-Estate Management Hypothetical
If MTAA operated like a normal private property management company charging a standard 5% fee on collected income:
- Gross non-tax income base (2026 budget) = $3,945,240
- 5% fee revenue = $197,262
- Realistic operating expenses for a lean private firm = $70,000 – $140,000 (leaving room for profit).
Actual MTAA General Fund spending = $12,179,073 (with $5.5 million in personnel alone). The difference is paid by your taxes. A private company could not survive on a 5% fee while spending $12 million — it would go out of business. MTAA survives only because it is a taxing authority with no direct voter accountability.
7. The Core Problem & the Solution
MTAA levies $5.28 million in property taxes every year yet its board is appointed, not elected. This structure has produced:
- Chronic multimillion-dollar operating losses
- Personnel costs that dwarf any private equivalent
- Prolonged litigation with forensic red flags
- Opaque spending highlighted by citizens like Carol Marple
We the taxpayers deserve better.
Recommended actions:
- Privatize the airports so they are run like a business (no more tax subsidy).
- Make the MTAA board elected (direct voter accountability).
- Or pursue a combination of both.
Your elected officials — Mayor Spencer Duncan, Commissioner Kevin Cook, and Councilperson Karen Hiller — have the statutory power to make this happen. They appoint the entire board and can champion statutory changes or refuse reappointments.
Call to Action
Contact them today. Demand full disclosure of the MTAA v. RDC case, the Zebell judgment, and all spending. Demand they either privatize MTAA or make the board elected.
The three letters below are ready to send. Copy, paste, attach this report + the 2026 budget PDF + Snodgrass deposition/forensic exhibits, and hit “send.”
Letter to Mayor Spencer Duncan Subject: Urgent Demand for MTAA Reform – Privatize or Elect the Board: $5.28M Annual Tax Levy Is Unsustainable
Dear Mayor Duncan,
As a Topeka resident and taxpayer, I demand you exercise your appointment authority over the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority under K.S.A. 27-330. The facts in the attached comprehensive taxpayer report prove MTAA is “crazy expensive” and unaccountable: $12.18 million in 2026 General Fund spending, $5.28 million tax levy, $5.5 million personnel costs, a 7-year lawsuit with forensic metadata discrepancies (Snodgrass report), and the Zebell judgment. A private 5% management company would operate the same assets for under $140,000 in expenses — yet we subsidize 87 times that amount with local taxes while federal grants pay for capital projects.
Appointed boards that tax us violate “no taxation without representation.” I request you immediately:
- Demand full public disclosure of the MTAA v. Rural Development Corporation file, Zebell judgment payments, and all board decisions.
- Refuse reappointment of any board member tied to this opacity and mismanagement.
- Champion legislation or charter changes to make MTAA board seats elected — or pursue full privatization.
Please provide a written action plan within 14 days. I am available to meet.
Sincerely, [Your Full Name] [Your Address] [Phone / Email]
Letter to Commissioner Kevin Cook (Identical content — change salutation and first sentence to “As a Shawnee County resident and taxpayer…”)
Letter to Councilperson Karen Hiller (Identical content — change salutation and first sentence to “As a Topeka resident in your district and taxpayer…”)
This report and the letters give every taxpayer the full picture. Share the report widely (social media, neighborhood meetings, next County Commission or City Council session). The more of us who speak up, the faster change happens.
If you need a printable PDF version, one-page flyer, or any tweaks, just let me know. Together we can end the taxpayer-funded bloat at MTAA.
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