In a surprise move that left the council chambers stunned, Boulder City Councilmember Mark Wallach resigned Thursday night, moments after the council voted to keep Boulder Municipal Airport open indefinitely, saying the decision conflicted with his values.
Wallach, who was serving his third term, had long been a staunch advocate for repurposing the airport land. He had just returned to council meetings after suffering a fall and said he had “picked the wrong week to come back.”
“I believe in serving according to my values and with a sense of self-respect,” Wallach said. “And if I feel I can no longer do so, I will choose not to serve. I will not be a party to the surrender of our valuable airport land in perpetuity.”
He said it had been “the honor of my life to serve on this body” and that his resignation would take effect immediately.
“To steal the signoff of the late journalist Edward R. Murrow: Good night and good luck. See you all down the road. First round is on me,” he said.
Wallach, 73, had developed a reputation for speaking directly, sticking to his convictions and writing lengthy, deeply considered and often self-deprecating posts on the Boulder City Council Hotline, frequently poking fun at their length. The retired lawyer and real estate developer is also a frequent opinion columnist, writing about Boulder’s finances, infrastructure, council decorum and antisemitism, among other issues.
His resignation came after the council on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to operate Boulder Municipal Airport indefinitely, clearing the way for the city to pursue federal grants that could prevent the airport from ever closing.
Councilmembers voted 8-1 in support of pursuing grants from the Federal Aviation Administration, which city officials have said could require Boulder to operate the airport in perpetuity.
Ultimately, Wallach was the only councilmember to vote against the motion. Councilmembers Nicole Speer and Ryan Schuchard had also opposed pursuing additional grants, but Speer proposed an amendment requiring the council, rather than the city manager, to approve the next FAA grant application. That change persuaded Schuchard and Speer to support the motion, but it was not enough to sway Wallach.
The vote marked the council’s firmest commitment to date to preserve the northeast Boulder airport. It also culminated one of the council’s most contentious debates in recent years, one that has sharply divided the community. Supporters consider the airport an irreplaceable public asset, while opponents want the land repurposed, potentially for housing. About 70 people signed up to speak during Thursday’s public hearing.
Much of Thursday’s city council debate centered on competing views of fiscal responsibility. Supporters of accepting FAA money said the city needed the funding to avoid pulling money from other city programs. Others said accepting the grants would restrict how future generations could use the land.
“Federal grants make the airport self-sustaining,” Councilmember Matt Benjamin, who supported accepting FAA money, said. Benjamin has opposed efforts to close the airport. “Let’s not take this one-out-of-a-million chance and risk the financial future of our community.”
“I think the heart of this is a pretty severe trade-off between a daunting cash flow constraint that we have, and also taking care of Boulder’s residents who are going to live here in a time frame that is beyond 20 years out,” Schuchard said.
Boulder Municipal Airport, which began as a dirt landing strip in the 1920s, serves private pilots, flight trainees, gliders and researchers. It has also supported emergency operations during fires and floods, although city officials have said wildfire response primarily relies on Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport.
Critics have long raised concerns about aircraft noise and lead pollution, while some have advocated redeveloping the airport’s 179 acres for housing. In 2024, residents collected thousands of signatures for two proposed ballot measures that sought to decommission the airport and repurpose the land for mixed-use development, including housing. Organizers withdrew the measures after the city sued the FAA.
Accepting a federal grant could settle the airport’s future for years to come. City Attorney Teresa Tate has told councilmembers that new FAA grants come with assurances that run in perpetuity.
The city’s ability to close the airport remains legally disputed. Its most recent FAA grant, accepted in May 2020, came with a 20-year obligation, potentially allowing the airport to close as early as 2040, according to city officials. But the FAA argues that Boulder is already obligated to operate the airport in perpetuity under previous grants, but the city disputes that interpretation.
In 2024, Boulder sued the FAA to determine whether the city could legally close the airport by 2040 or later. In September 2025, a U.S. District Court judge dismissed the lawsuit largely on procedural grounds, without addressing the core legal questions.
The decision to seek additional federal grants comes as city officials say slowing sales tax growth and rising expenses are contributing to a projected $6.5 million shortfall in the 2027 budget. Without additional FAA funding, the city projects an airport budget deficit of about $7 million to $27 million by 2041, according to its financial analysis.
Covering that deficit could require money from the city’s Transportation Fund or General Fund, city officials have said. They have not identified which programs could be cut to cover the shortfall. Additional revenue to close this gap could come from hangar leases and landing fees, or grants from the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Thursday’s vote formalized a direction councilmembers had endorsed during an April study session. Some residents criticized councilmembers for reaching that decision without a public hearing and before resolving key questions about the airport’s future. Thursday’s hearing was held in part to address those concerns.
