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Airport Authority elects officers
By Lynn Hotaling
Duly sworn-in members of the Jackson County Airport Authority met Feb. 23 and elected officers, though at least one member doubts their legitimacy.
Gary Buchanan was chosen chairman, Chip Hall vice chairman and new member Ed Riley was tapped to be secretary-treasurer. None of the votes was unanimous.
Buchanan, who had been named interim chairman during the group’s Feb. 9 meeting, presided over the election, which he said was to choose officers to serve until July.
Riley nominated Buchanan to be chairman, and Eddie Madden seconded. Riley and Madden voted in favor of Buchanan, and Jim Rowell and Eldridge Painter voted “no.” Buchanan then voted for himself.
“I’ll take it,” he said.
Buchanan then nominated Madden to be vice chairman and Riley seconded. However, before there was a vote, Riley nominated Hall. Madden said he’d prefer Hall be vice chairman, and Buchanan seconded Hall’s nomination.
Then Buchanan withdrew his nomination of Madden and a vote was taken on Hall. Madden, Buchanan and Riley voted yes, with Rowell and Painter again voting “no.”
Madden then nominated Riley to be secretary-treasurer, and Buchanan added a second. Painter nominated Rowell, who had been filling that post during the time Tom McClure was chairman. Rowell’s nomination was not seconded.
With another 3-2 vote (Buchanan, Madden and Riley voting for Riley and Rowell and Painter voting for Rowell), Riley was chosen secretary-treasurer.
During discussion that followed, Riley said he’d like an audit done before he takes over the Authority’s books.
Rowell said one had been done for the past fiscal year, but Riley said he’d like to see an updated audit. Madden made a motion to that effect, and he, Buchanan and Riley voted in favor.
Buchanan then brought up the Authority’s plans to build a hangar complex at the airport and suggested they postpone the project because the group lacks documents showing it’s capable of borrowing money.
Riley moved to act on Buchanan’s request, but Rowell told him it wasn’t necessary because the architect had postponed the project when “the controversy with the airport started.”
Rowell was referring to county commissioners’ Jan. 12 decision to remove Airport Authority Chairman McClure from all appointed county positions.
In the wake of that move, commissioners decided all members had to be reappointed in light of procedural violations such as the fact that members hadn’t been sworn in as statutes require and that at least one member – Buchanan – had not been appointed in the manner stipulated by the bylaws.
Rowell protested that decision when he first heard it during a Jan. 26 meeting called by county attorney Paul Holt and repeated his objection during the Jan. 31 commissioners meeting when he, Buchanan, Madden, Hall and Painter were reappointed.
“I’ve already been appointed,” he said. “I might need to be sworn in.”
Commissioners charged the five with holding a meeting and providing at least two names to be considered for the sixth spot.
Instead, authority members submitted seven: Riley, Dennis Wilkey, Alston Macon, John Wittekind, Gary Boyer and Dorothy Gamble. Commissioners chose Riley during their Feb. 15 meeting.
During public comments that followed, Sylva attorney Mark Melrose asked why plans for hangar construction had to halt because McClure is no longer on the board.
Rowell said that McClure had outlined an interesting plan to finance the project during the Authority’s December meeting and said – indicating Buchanan and Madden – to talk to the “new power structure who have usurped the Authority through the actions of the commissioners.”
Madden said construction was halted because “no one knew anything except one person (McClure).”
Rowell asked Madden how he could have been on the authority for two years and attended meetings in Asheville with Department of Transportation Division of Aviation officials without knowing any of the financing plans.
Madden replied that he’d only heard “assurances, never detail” and said those explanations would no longer suffice
That exchange led to discussion of whether it might be better to lease space and let others build hangars as has been done in Macon County.
“I don’t know,” said Riley. “When I do I’ll make a recommendation.”
Tommy Fincannon asked authority members how committed county commissioners are to supporting the airport.
“You need to ask them that,” said Madden, who is also a county commissioner.
Rowell said Tuesday he does not think last week’s authority elections are legitimate and that he is still the body’s secretary-treasurer.
Commissioners’ actions since December regarding the Authority have not been legal, he said, except with regard to correcting an oversight and requiring members be sworn in.
According to Rowell, commissioners illegally removed McClure and illegally appointed Buchanan.
“With two illegal appointees in illegal place, Commissioner Eddie Madden (clearly with a conflict of interest in the entire matter) oversaw the election of new officers for the Authority,” Rowell said March 1.
When asked if anyone had discussed the reason for electing a new secretary-treasurer when he was still on the Authority, Rowell said they had not, adding that he still regards himself secretary-treasurer of the Authority and has retained the group’s records.
Copies of the Authority’s 2002-03 and 2003-04 audits, performed by Dixon Hughes, indicate the authority’s finances received a clean bill of health both years.
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