The three counties that are proposing gross receipts taxes to help raise money for the construction of Spaceport America are considering a joint hearing to discuss the proposed tax, the Alamogordo Daily News reported Thursday. The purpose of the joint hearing of the county commissions, according to Doña Ana Commissioner Bill McCamley, is to demonstrate regional support for the project, making it more likely voters will approve the taxes. Doña Ana County, home to Las Cruces, is planning an April 2007 referendum on the tax; Otero and Sierra Counties have yet to schedule similar votes.

The Adelaide, Australia newspaper The Advertiser reports that Rocketplane Kistler has delayed plans to start work on spaceport facilities in Woomera. “Design changes” are blamed for the delay, although it’s not clear from the brief article whether the changes are in the design of the spaceport or in the K-1 vehicle that will fly from there. Work at Woomera was supposed to begin in May. “Things are a little behind but they are still on track,” said Alan Evans, chairman of Rocketplane Kistler Australia. (How can you be a “a little behind” but still be “on track”?)

[A nod to Mark Evans, who flagged the article in a comment to a post last month about Woomera.]

According to a report in Wednesday’s issue of the Columbus Dispatch, the state of Ohio has made a preliminary incentive offer to PlanetSpace to lure the venture to establish operations in the state. (See previous coverage of Ohio’s plans to get PlanetSpace to establish a landing site and/or manufacturing facility near Columbus.) Details about the offer weren’t disclosed, but the article said the state was proposing a “multimilliondollar package of tax credits, grants and other incentives”, some of which would require matching contributions from the city of Columbus and Franklin County, where Columbus and Rickenbacker International Airport, the proposed landing site for PlanetSpace’s Silver Dart vehicle, are located. Chirinjeev Kathuria, chairman of PlanetSpace, said he hoped to have a deal in place in 60 days to keep the company on a schedule that would have a vehicle ready to fly by late 2008 (which seems like a very aggressive schedule, given the company’s current standing.) Kathuria also hinted that “one other state is interested in talking to us”.