San Marcos — Action by a U.S. Senate committee this week has given high hopes to those intent on improving the San Marcos Municipal Airport.

On Wednesday, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $2 million for airport improvement as part of its Fiscal Year 2009 Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill.

“The San Marcos Municipal Airport is vital to area businesses and residents,” Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said in announcing the bill’s passage. “This funding will help the airport expand its facilities to attract more enterprises and jobs in the area.”

“It’s exciting,” said Mayor Susan Narvaiz. She said the money will help, along with dollars appropriated locally, towards the ultimate goal of San Marcos Municipal becoming a “reliever” airport.

“You can move your products to and from the San Marcos Municipal Airport easier than in Austin or San Antonio,” Narvaiz said. “We’re very interested in anything aviation or aeronautics-related as another method of job development and raising the living wage here. These dollars help to meet both goals.”

Also excited was Airport Manager Scott Gallagher, though this is his first week on the job. “It’s definitely a huge step in the direction that we want to go, from what I’ve been briefed on and as far as the Master Plan for the airport.”

“This is a big win for us to have it in the appropriations bill,” said Chuck Nash, chairman of the Airport Commission.

Bill LaForge, who works in Washington as a lobbyist for local issues, said the money is especially fortunate in such a tight budget climate.

“It’s a very tight budget environment,” LaForge said. “Federal funding and resources are very scarce. A $2 million appropriation in this climate is excellent.”

The measure will now go to the full Senate and will have to pass the House of Representatives as well. LaForge said right now, the House is leaning towards lumping all appropriations legislation into a single omnibus bill.

Though the $2 million is only part of a $9.5 million package the city has sought, officials noted that sums that size generally have to be granted in increments.

“We’re hoping to get the lion’s share of the request from the federal government over several cycles,” Narvaiz said.