Henry BOC Takes Credit for Putting Citizens in Debt

http://proofofright.wordpress.com/2011/09/03/henry-boc-takes-credit-for-putting-citizens-in-debt/ By Joanie Scott

The Henry County BOC has set up a hospitality tent out at our new airport to welcome all the incoming flights for race weekend, They want to let them know that big changes are on the way! Another propaganda piece was made available on the Henry County BOC website this morning touting (again) what a great investment this will be just as soon as we can get some big corporations to move here. Or just as soon as the aerospace industry decides to move here. Or whatever. So far they have done nothing but commit to spending $2.7 million of our money to purchase the airport and another several million for its improvements. The propaganda released this morning cites an environmental study done by Clayton County in 2006 as the basis for the improvements. Again, were supposed to be excited that the FAA and the GDOT are picking up 97.5% of the tab here and Henry County ONLY has to pay for the remaining 2.5%. Seriously? Does BJ Mathis not understand that they, too, get their money from my wallet? By 2014, Henry County intends to have completed the improvements first advocated by the FAA in its Environmental Assessment report to Clayton County in 2006. That study recommends the following improvements: Acquiring land parcels for the installation of navigational aides. Relocating or adjusting Mount (Mt.) Pleasant Road; and, Upgrading airport runway and taxiway safety areas from ARC B-II to C-II standards; Upgrading navigational aides to include precision approach capabilities on Runway 24 End; Extending Runway 6/24 by 1,000 feet, to total 5,503 feet; Widening Runway 6/24 by 25 feet, to total 100 feet; Extending south side parallel Taxiway E in conjunction with runway length

The study also goes on to estimate the (2006) cost which ranges from $14.52 million to $22.41 million. But, Clayton County also estimated in 2010 in their Airport Capital Investment Plan they submitted to the Georgia DOT that the total cost for all these improvements would be over $40 million. Even if I was excited about ONLY having to pay for 2.5% of that amount, it still comes out

to $1,000,000.00. And, they dont even expect to have the improvements completed until 2014, which means with standard government delays it will likely be much later than that. So, these unnamed corporations who'll be moving here because of our great new airport wont even be able to until at least 2014. But go ahead BJ and your band of merry spenders. Go ahead and smile this weekend and take credit for the outstanding job youve done putting this debt on the backs of the Henry County taxpayers. This is all on you now to make this work. Good luck with that. GDOT AIRPORT CIP REPORT Fiscal Year 2012-2016 Federal Cost $30,026,056.91 74% of Funding State Cost $907,450.00 2% of Funding Local Cost $9,848,826.09 24% Matching Funds Total Cost $40,782,333.00

Read the entire CIP Report here: http://proofofright.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/gdot-4a7-cip-report1.pdf