A Dukes County steering committee voted this week not to look into the separation of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional Airport from the county, effectively killing any further discussion of the issue, at least for now.

The decision on Wednesday came in the wake of a September state Department of Revenue report that harshly criticized the county’s management and structure of governing. In it the state suggests the airport commission look into the airport operating independently from the county.

The committee was formed by the county commissioners to respond to the report.

“We find it’s to the benefit of the county and the Island to at this point in time keep the status quo [of the airport], and for the purposes of our committee that’s how we’ll handle that issue in the DOR report,” committee member and Edgartown selectman Art Smadbeck said.

The county commissioners met last Wednesday and had a similar sentiment, commissioner and committee chairman Melinda Loberg said.

“I could characterize the discussion as perplexed, wondering kind of, what is the benefit, what could be the benefit to both parties by doing this,” Ms. Loberg said. “The general tone was, we’re not interested.”

The airport passed from direct county control a few years ago and is now overseen by an appointed, largely autonomous commission. The airport commission develops its own budget that is then reviewed by the county commissioners and approved by the county advisory board, a separate committee made up of selectmen from each town.

The airport also uses the accounting services of the county treasurer and remains financially dependent on the county to issue bonds.

Airport manager Sean Flynn said there had been discussions about putting a contingency plan in place in case the county was dissolved, but he suggested the county look to a consultant to come up with provisions.

The committee will now author a formal report responding to the state’s inquiries in the fall and review a draft at their next meeting Sept. 21.

Mr. Smadbeck said it was one of the best committees he’s ever served on, for both its purpose and the knowledge he’s gained, and came to the conclusion the county is a needed body of government.

“For us to lose that county entity would be a detriment to the community,” he said, noting favorable projects such as the animal shelter, the integrated pest management program and health care benefits. “This committee has demonstrated we’re better off with this entity that we can use, the towns can use, the public can use because it performs valuable services.”