The boards of county commissioners of the various counties of this state are hereby authorized and empowered to acquire by purchase, condemnation, gift or lease lands for use as an airport and to establish, construct, own, lease, control, equip, improve, maintain and operate an airport, and to lease or grant the use and privilege thereof to others. Such airports and the airstrips and landing fields thereof are hereby declared to be in the nature of public roads in their facilitation of public travel and transportation; and, the buildings and structures necessary to be used in connection therewith are hereby declared to be necessary public buildings, and the exclusive use of any such airport or airports shall not be granted to any person, persons, firm, corporation or association.
History: 1941 Comp., § 15-3528, enacted by Laws 1949, ch. 67, § 1; 1953 Comp., § 15-37-30.
Cross references. — For leasing of state lands by municipalities, see 19-7-54 NMSA 1978.
For joint airport zoning boards, see 64-2-1, 64-2-2 NMSA 1978.
Airports and landing fields. — Counties and municipalities are specifically authorized by statute to operate an airport or landing field. Yarger v. Timberon Water & Sanitation Dist., 2002-NMCA-055, 132 N.M. 270, 46 P.3d 1270.
Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 8 Am. Jur. 2d Aviation § 71.
Structure New Mexico Statutes
Article 38 - Board of County Commissioners
Section 4-38-1 - [Exercise of county powers.]
Section 4-38-2 - Members; quorum.
Section 4-38-3 - Residence in districts; period for districting; election at large.
Section 4-38-6 - Election; term.
Section 4-38-7 - [Holding office until successor is qualified.]
Section 4-38-11 - [Chairman; powers and duties.]
Section 4-38-12 - [Seal; sessions to be public; rules and regulations.]
Section 4-38-13 - [Powers; property belonging to county.]
Section 4-38-13.1 - County equipment and property; permitted uses.
Section 4-38-13.2 - Legislative findings; community value.
Section 4-38-14 - [County appropriation for state fair authorized.]
Section 4-38-15 - [Agent of county having charge of county exhibit at state fair; appointment.]
Section 4-38-16 - [Accounts; county buildings; taxation.]
Section 4-38-17 - Tax levy for county general purposes; allocation.
Section 4-38-17.1 - Tax levies authorization; procedures; health purposes.
Section 4-38-18 - [Management in general.]
Section 4-38-24 - Powers over highways.
Section 4-38-26 - [Streets in unincorporated county seats.]
Section 4-38-27 - [Receipts and expenditures; publication of report.]
Section 4-38-28 - [Payments without authority; liability of commissioners.]
Section 4-38-29 - [Approving unauthorized account; penalty; recovery of money.]
Section 4-38-30 - [Neglect of duty; penalty.]
Section 4-38-31 - [Establishment of airports.]
Section 4-38-32 - Eminent domain power for acquiring airports.
Section 4-38-33 - [Eminent domain power over land contiguous and adjacent to airport.]
Section 4-38-34 - [Joint county-municipal operation of airports.]
Section 4-38-35 - [Federal aid for airports; gifts.]
Section 4-38-36 - [Power to issue bonds for airports.]
Section 4-38-37 - [Procedure for issuing bonds for airports.]
Section 4-38-38 - Creation of county advisory boards.
Section 4-38-39 - Duties of board.
Section 4-38-40 - Executive committee.