CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, Nov. 11, 2026 — Two years after telling the Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) it would end the authority's lease on Cape May Airport, Cape May County is moving to negotiate a new one.
The county commissioners' Nov. 10 agenda included a resolution stating the county's intent to "join the Delaware River & Bay Authority in good faith negotiations for a successor ground lease at the Cape May County Airport." It was on the consent agenda, which the board passes in a single vote. The resolution's full text and the meeting recording haven't been posted, and no terms have been made public.
The DRBA has run the county-owned airport and industrial park in Lower Township since 1999.
Why the lease was ending
The current lease would have renewed on its own for up to 60 more years. In June 2024 the county gave the five years' notice the lease requires to stop that, so it ends June 8, 2029. Ending it means the county owes the DRBA a termination payment, according to a DRBA resolution from December 2025. That document doesn't give the amount.
After the notice, the DRBA shelved its planned projects at the airport. The two sides later agreed to build a public-use hangar anyway, with the county repaying about $5.1 million of the estimated $7.1 million cost and a federal grant covering the rest.
Keeping the door open
County officials have talked about the DRBA as a partner all year. In February, County Solicitor Jeffrey Lindsay told a resident the board was "operating on dual tracks" and that the DRBA "remains a valued partner." In September, Commissioner Patrick Rosenello said he and Commissioner Will Morey had spent "a significant amount of time over the last few months in discussions with the DRBA," with the goal of keeping the relationship.
The county also hired special counsel for the airport in January, and it's planning a Government Services Building there.
What's next
The DRBA's board meets Tuesday, Nov. 17. Its meeting notice lists "Lease Agreements" and the Airports Division among the topics but doesn't name Cape May Airport. The agenda posts on drba.net by 3 p.m. the day before.
How to watch
DRBA board, Tuesday, Nov. 17: 10 a.m. at the DRBA Administration Building in New Castle, Del. Seating is limited, and the DRBA asks in-person attendees to register by emailing james.salmon@drba.net. No livestream is listed.
County commissioners: meetings are at 4 Moore Road, Cape May Court House, with live audio through Microsoft Teams links on the commissioners' page. There's no video. Past meetings are in the county's recordings archive.
