Vermilion County Regional Airport Authority; 4 of the 5 Commissioners disqualified –

DANVILLE, IL. (ECWd) –

The Vermilion County Regional Airport Authority has five commissioners appointed by either the county board chairman or the mayor of Danville. The Authority operates under the Airport Authorities Act.

Section 5 of the Airport Authorities Act lists qualifications, or disqualifications, of commissioners of the Authority.

(70 ILCS 5/5) (from Ch. 15 1/2, par. 68.5)
 Sec. 5. Qualifications of commissioners and removal from office. No person shall be appointed to the Board of Commissioners of any Airport Authority who has any financial interest in the establishment or continued existence thereof or who is a member of the governing body or an officer or employee of a municipality, a county, or any other unit of local government, or an elected official of State or federal government, except when the authority is wholly located within a single county with a population of less than 40,000, an individual employed by a local school district may serve as a commissioner. 
    Should it appear to the Department of Transportation that any member of the Board of Commissioners of an airport authority may be disqualified, or guilty of misconduct or malfeasance in office or unwilling or unable to act, it shall notify the Board of Commissioners of that fact in writing and it shall then be the duty of the Board of Commissioners to require such board member to show cause why he should not be removed from office. Any such person shall be given a hearing by the Board of Commissioners and, after such hearing, if the Board of Commissioners finds such a charge should be sustained, it shall remove the person so charged from office, and a vacancy shall thereupon exist for the unexpired term of such office. 
(Source: P.A. 88-109; 89-174, eff. 7-19-95.)

It is not that difficult to understand: “Cannot be a member of the governing body or an officer or employee of a municipality, a county, or any other unit of local government.”

We received copies of the 2018 Statements of Economic Interest of these Commissioners, and as suspected, 4 of the 5 commissioners cannot hold the office of Airport Authority Commissioner.

This is a statutory prohibition.

• Steve Foster – also an Alderman in the City of Danville
• David Kietzman – also Executive Vice-President, Instruction and Student Services, Danville Area Community College, Vermilion Vocational Educational Development System
• William Ingram – also a Commissioner on the Village of Catlin Planning Commission
• Jonathan Myers – also either an employee of or a Commissioner of the Vermilion County Conservation District

The only commissioner left, who appears to be qualified to serve, is Mr. Tom Day and he was appointed by the City of Danville.

We suggest these four alleged commissioners resign immediately.

A complaint was filed with IDOT and IDOT-Division of Aeronautics asking them to take care of this situation promptly since the super-majority of this board cannot sit as board members.

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