Springfield, IL. (ECWd) –
Following up on our article related to the aircraft fuel sales tax in Springfield, Illinois, and the FAA’s requirement of airport-related use of those tax funds not grandfathered in (the increase of sales taxes), the Springfield Airport Authority’s attorneys sent a memorandum to the city of Springfield in 2016 explaining the consequences of diversion of those sales tax revenues.
As we noted in a previous article, this appears to be headed for litigation between the airport and the city of Springfield.
Some of the listed consequences are:
- maximum $50,000 civil penalty to the airport
- civil penalties equaling three times the diverted revenue (the airport claims as much as $800K has been diverted)
Other types of revenue diversion include:
- making airport facilities available to the community, local government, or other non-airport use for less than fair market value
- making airport facilities available at no charge to other units of local government
- undocumented airport expenditures or failing to collect revenue
- using airport funds for off-airport development projects
- not documenting sources or use of funds
- leasing non-aeronautical property at less than fair market value
The deadline for compliance was December 8, 2017. It has come and gone without compliance, according to the airport authority.
