So...Fairness
MAYVILLE —
Legislators convened
Monday to accept more federal
and state funds for
Chautauqua County’s airports
in Dunkirk and
Jamestown.
A special meeting was
called for by Chairman Jay
Gould in response to a
request by County
Executive Vince Horrigan
to accept funding for airport
projects before a
Wednesday deadline, which
was imposed by the Federal
Aviation Administration.
With a 16-1 vote, the legislature
approved to accept the
funds. The county was notified
after the August legislature
meeting that they
would be given the funds.
At the Dunkirk Airport,
the FAA will provide
$101,160 to rehabilitate
Taxiway B South. The total
cost of the project is
$112,400. The state and
county will each pay 5 percent
of project costs, or
$5,260.
At the Jamestown
Airport, the FAA will allocate
$107,730 to repair
Taxiway F and the general
aviation apron. The funds
will also be used to purchase
new aircraft rescue
and fighting suits. Project
costs total $113,400. The
state and county will each
pay $2,835 for the projects.
Speaking in favor of the
resolutions, legislator
Elisabeth Rankin, RJamestown,
said passing on
an opportunity to accept
federal and state funds
would mean passing the
costs onto the taxpayers.
“Our local airports are
important to the strength of
our infrastructure,” she
said, adding the Jamestown
Airport is heading in the
right direction with
Southern Air Express taking
over as the new airline.
“As long as we provide air
service, we have a responsibility
to provide efficient,
and most importantly, reliable
service.”
Voting no, legislator Ron
Lemon, R-Frewsburg, reiterated
that he would like to
see the federal government
and the state step up to help
rural communities where
factories are closed and jobs
nonexistent. Last month,
Lemon cited the same reason
after voting no to accept
FAA and state funds to
revamp Jamestown
Airport’s parking lot.
“It’s nice to have an airport,
but I think it would be
even nicer to have an airport
if there were manufacturing
jobs being created,”
he said. “Hopefully, the federal
and state government
will look at that. I do believe
the county is working hard
toward that, but we need
the federal and state government
to help as well.”
Legislator Charles
Nazzaro, D-Jamestown,
said the airports are needed
to support corporate and
private businesses.
However, he said the “jury
is still out” over whether
they’ll be able to continue
supporting commercial air
service. Nazzaro also voted
no to accept funds for the
airport’s parking lot last
month. This time, he voted
in favor of the two resolutions.
“I felt the parking lot was
in need of repair but was
not critical to the operation
of that airport,” he said. “I
don’t think anyone decides
let’s fly out of Jamestown
because they have a good
parking lot.”
Nazzaro said the air traffic
passenger count is slightly
improving, but there may
be a time where it may need
to be discontinued. But
Nazzaro said that doesn’t
mean the airports “won’t be
here.”
Even though the majority
of airport projects are funded
through the federal government
and the state,
Nazzaro said it’s still coming
out of the taxpayers’
pockets.
“Yes, it’s nice to have a 5
percent match for the county,”
he said. “When you add
up the dollars, taxpayers are
still spending millions of
dollars to maintain those
airports, whether it’s coming
from federal, state or
local money. I think we
can’t lose sight of that.”
Can you spell PORK?
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