"Today's resolution does not commit the county to any specific course of action; it begins the pre-application process," commission chairman Charles Bannister said at the time.

On its Web site, Propeller Investments said privatizing the Briscoe airport would enable the county to take profits and use them elsewhere, which a public entity is not presently allowed. Propeller also claimed the economic impact to the region was $1.25 billion, though Smith declined to say how that figure was reached, outside of the addition of hotels, retail shops, car rental and other transportation services.

There are differences between what's proposed in Gwinnett and what's done in Missouri. Most significant, the city of Branson and Taney County encouraged the development of the new airport to boost tourism.

Briscoe Field, unlike Branson Airport, has received government money over the years, which would require a private operator to abide by certain regulations, including consumer protection laws.

"Airports cannot restrict access to their products," wrote Richard de Neufville, a professor of engineering systems at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in a study of airport privatization. "In general, the major commercial airports must be open to all competent users who meet certain minimal criteria."

Branson, however, can operate however it wants, and providing a competition-free environment for airline, car-rental and restaurant tenants is an important part of its business model.

"We don't want suicide fares, two or three airlines bashing each other over the head until someone says 'uncle' and leaves," Peet explained. "We want to build real service, sustainable service."