Counties, cities, airport districts, and port districts (local governments) are authorized to establish, regulate, and operate municipal airports.  This includes the authority to acquire, lease, and sell land; construct airport facilities; raise funds for the airport; impose charges; adopt rules and regulations for the airport, as well as penalties for the violation of those rules; and to use revenue from the airport to finance airport maintenance and expansion or to finance commercial or industrial buildings.

Local governments can vest power for the construction, expansion, maintenance, operation, and regulation of the airport in an officer, board, or other body of the local government.  The local government can also vest authority for industrial and commercial development in a municipal airport commission (MAC).  A MAC must have at least five members, who must be resident taxpayers in the local government's jurisdiction.  Initial members are appointed by the local government, and the local government can provide for how future appointments will be made and how future vacancies filled.  The ordinance creating the MAC must set out the powers and duties of the MAC.  The expenses of the airport's construction, enlargement, improvement, maintenance, equipment, industrial and commercial development, operation, and regulation are the responsibility of the local government.

Members of the MAC can be appointed to staggered terms of up to six years.  There is no compensation for serving as a member of a MAC, but members can receive a per diem of up to $25 a day and travel expenses for time spent on commission business.

The Community Aviation Revitalization Board is a board convened by the State Department of Transportation.  The Board is authorized to make Public Use General Aviation Airport Loans to public use airports for airport improvements that primarily support general aviation activities.

The United States General Services Administration sets per diem rates for travelling federal employees.  The standard General Services Administration per diem in Washington is $98 for lodging, and $59 for meals and incidental expenses.  Some specific cities have greater per diem rates.  Seattle's per diem rate, for example, is $232 for lodging, and $79 for meals and incidental expenses.

A local government may vest authority for the construction, expansion, maintenance, operation, management, and regulation of a municipal airport in a MAC.  The expenses of the airport's management are added to the list of expenses that are the responsibility of the local government.

The local government may authorize the MAC to apply for Public Use General Aviation Airport Loans.

In a local government with fewer than 35,000 people, a majority of the MAC's members must be residents of the local government or the county in which the local government is located.  Any remaining nonresident members must be residents of an adjacent county or counties.  In a local government with a population of greater than 35,000, all MAC commissioners must be residents of the local government.  Immediate family members of the local government's governing body, and current and former employees of the airport, may not be appointed as commissioners.  A majority of MAC members must have expertise in the aviation industry; business administration or operations; finance; accounting; marketing; economic development; commercial real estate development; engineering; planning and construction; law; utilities; or other related experience from industries that have a logical nexus with airport administration, operations, and development.  Members must agree to adhere to ethical standards adopted by the MAC or by the local government.

The per diem available to a MAC commissioner is $25 a day plus travel expenses or, when travel requires overnight lodging, a per diem of not more than the United States General Services Administration's per diem rates.