Benton County commissioners disagreed Monday on how to go about getting a $24 million interchange built on Interstate 82 to serve the Red Mountain American Viticulture Area.

The payoff could be worth billions, but questions linger about who will pay and who will win.

Commissioners split 2-1, with Chairman Jim Beaver and Max Benitz Jr., in support and Leo Bowman opposed, to pursuing an all-or-nothing $24 million federal financing.

Jason Robertson, a consultant hired to determine the potential economic benefits from building the interchange near Goose Gap Road, said an interchange could provide critical tourism access to Red Mountain's prime grape-growing land.

Robertson said the payoffs over the short term would bring nearly 2,400 jobs with development of about 1,664 acres and more than $102 million in payroll into the economy, as well as $55 million in tax revenues. All of it would be related to developing the acres into an attractive tourist destination.

A second phase that would bring in another 7,800 acres from the Lewis and Clark Ranch into development would balloon the benefits, Robertson said. That could pump up jobs to 28,000 and ratchet the payroll tenfold to more than $1 billion, he said.

Total tax revenues also would push $1 billion, Robertson said, making a $24 million investment into a new interchange more attractive over the long run. "There is tremendous return on investment for $24 million to build the interchange," he told commissioners.

But Benitz doubted the big payoff, noting that Benton County's take would be much less than other taxing entities, the state in particular grabbing about a third from the taxing revenues of development.

"Washington state is the big winner," Robertson acknowledged, but added that Benton County also gets to benefit by the new jobs and payroll, as well as a share in sales and property taxes.

Benitz then wondered if the project might be too much to tackle. "I don't want to invest $24 million and not be able to go forward," Benitz said. The county might have other priority projects that come along, he noted.

Beaver said he didn't want to see something started that would end up being paid for by county taxpayers. He also said he didn't like the idea of county staff starting a big project when there is plenty left to be finished now. "This is leap-frogging out there on a vision, but let's not get behind on what we're doing," Beaver said.

Commissioner Bowman tried to nudge the Goose Gap Road interchange idea along.

Bowman suggested it would be better to take short steps, and not ask for the $24 million in federal support all at once.

He preferred going to Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., for $5 million this year, just to get the interchange project going with design and other non-construction work. The rest of the money could come in later years, Bowman said, noting that going for everything in a single shot was a sure bet to be denied during this time of economic stringency.

But Beaver and Benitz insisted on an all-or-nothing strategy.

"This will be a $24 million deal. The analysis is pretty aggressive, to be honest, and I don't want Benton County residents building another highway," Beaver said.

Benitz noted that the state should be involved, too, because that's who will receive most of the tax revenue.

Other public entities standing to benefit from the economic benefits of an interchange for Red Mountain include the city of West Richland, Benton City, Benton County fire districts 2 and 4, ports of Kennewick and Benton and the Richland and Kiona-Benton City school districts.

w John Trumbo: 582-1529; jtrumbo@tri cityherald.com