Leonardtown, MD — The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County at their regularly scheduled March 10 public forum heard one person after another come to the microphone in support of the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum. Of the unusually large number of speakers (35), more than half (18) spoke in support of county funding for the museum.
The commissioners have been asked to provide $130,000 in the coming fiscal year to help transition the museum into its new facility scheduled to open later this year. They’ve also been asked to kick in $550,000 to renovate the existing museum building and a separate warehouse once the new building opens. The county owns the land and the buildings at the site just outside Pax River’s gate 1.
Patuxent River Naval Air Museum Association (PRNAMA), a non-profit organization, has operated the museum for 30 years largely through a volunteer effort. President Ed Sierra and Vice President Pete Butt made a presentation to the commissioners earlier in the day before the public forum. Although the three commissioners who originally agreed to place the monies in next year’s budget appear to be holding the line, two of the commissioners, John O’Connor [R; 3rd District] and Todd Morgan [R – 4th District] continue to insist on a business plan from the association.
Morgan asked Sierra directly if there was a plan and he said there wasn’t. Morgan said the original agreement between the county and the association called for the operation to be self-funded and now $130,000 was being sought. Sierra responded that the Navy pulling its funding for the museum dramatically changed the finances of the association.
O’Connor said a business plan was something that could be put together in several hours. He said no bank would lend to a new business without a plan instead of just a belief that it would work. “If you don’t have a plan you are getting a ‘No” vote from me,” he said.
O’Connor suggested instead of a grant from the county that a loan be considered with non-interest and an extended pay back. The idea didn’t get any traction from the other commissioners.
Commissioner Mike Hewitt, a former association board member, made an impassioned plea for the funding. He said the “cow is out of the barn” in that a large amount of many has been expended to get the museum ready to open. He added, “The worst thing would be to let it slowly starve to death.”
Sierra said the trends for the museum were positive and predicted a hit with the new building. “One year from now things will be a lot more positive,” he said.
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