AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2008 - (Page 24) AOPAACTION In the 1990s, public-use airports were closing at an average rate of two per week. Over the past 10 years, thanks to the efforts of the AOPA Airport Support Network, AOPA member volunteers at almost 2,000 airports across the country have played an integral role in helping AOPA slow that trend. For more information on how you can help support your airport, visit AOPA Online (www.aopa.org/asn). Airport Action: Taxes Ohio. Huron: Just as home values are subjected to increased taxes, so are airports and other businesses. The fact is municipalities rely on taxes to operate essential and basic public facilities and services such as schools, police departments, etc. When you throw an airport into the mix, things suddenly get more divided, which is what occurred in Huron, Ohio when Erie County decided to offer a reduced tax base to 200 business entities. Six of those were challenged by the school board, including the reduction for the privately owned, public-use Hinde Huron Airport (88D). The ASN volunteer at 88D, Benjamin Gleason, contacted AOPA and other aviation groups to see what could be done to combat the school district’s attack on the airport. Gleason worked with AOPA’s Pilot Information Center (pilotassist@aopa.org) to develop ideas on how to present the airport’s cause in the best light possible including weighing its value as a business versus its worth as a property for comparative uses. After a month of local airport supporters writing letters, making telephone calls and attending meetings, along with the help of AOPA, the school board abandoned its pursuit and Hinde Huron Airport was able to come to an agreement with the county that would not force the owners to sell. WHAT YOU CAN DO: While the government controls AOPA PILOT • 24 • MARCH 2008 AIRPORT SUPPORT Are you voting this May? With all the attention on the presidential and congressional elections, voters often overlook local elections, particularly since many do not take place in November. Some state and municipal elections coincide with federal elections, but those that do not usually offer the greatest opportunities for constituents’ voices to make a difference. AOPA encourages members to get to know their local politicians and use their votes to elect officials whose decisions directly impact their airports. Your congressional representatives may be haggling over users fees now, but it is your local delegation that decides if homes can be placed next to your airport or if local taxes and fees should be levied as we saw in the stories above (see “Airport Action,” at left). In many local districts, turnouts are low for off year and non-November elections. A district with 18,000 eligible voters may only see a turn out of 2,000. Imagine if airport supporters were mobilized; your single vote could make a pivotal difference. Whatever kind of jurisdiction you live in, there are local elections. Visit your municipal government’s Web site to learn when they take place and who the candidates are so when election day comes, your vote counts. For more help or to learn more about the Airport Support Network, visit the Web site (www.aopa.org/asn) and sign up today. public airspace access, local municipalities often regulate the airports sitting on their land. Local government economics are often the driving force behind taxes, rates and fees, including hangar leases and land valuations. AOPA recommends members protect their interests by joining the AOPA Legal Services Plan (www.aopa.org/ info/certified/lsp). Starting at $29 per year, you are eligible for a free annual review of your hangar or tie down lease plus reduced rates for access to attorneys in your area trained in aviation specialties. Political Action Committees California. Watsonville: The Watsonville Airport Pilots Association and AOPA ASN volunteer Rayvon Williams, have formed the Watsonville Re- gional Airport Promotion-Political Action Committee (WRAP-PAC) to ensure their airport has friends in the political arena. WRAP-PAC provides a sanctioned resource for airport supporters to offer financial backing to local candidates for the City Council, County Board of Supervisors, and other public offices that affect Watsonville Airport. The PAC’s 2007 efforts included successes on several levels. In May, the city council members who received donations from the WRAP-PAC cast the determining vote to prevent a stacked deck committee that would formulate a biased Airport Land Use plan. And to ensure this vote is not overturned in the near future, WRAP-PAC held its annual donation dinner in November 2007 raising thousands of dollars to continue supporting local pro-airport candidates. According to Williams, Watsonville’s WRAP-PAC has been a key driver in protecting the airport from several potentially detrimental votes. WHAT YOU CAN DO: Does your airport have a Political Action Committee? Local elections occur more often than federal ones and offer greater opportunity for constituents to make a difference. If airport supporters are not actively supporting local candidates, we cannot expect them to support our airports. AOPA offers a step-by-step guide for forming your own Political Action Committee— see Section 3 of AOPA’s guidebook, “Obtaining Community Support for Your Airport,” available online (www.aopa. org/asn/communitysupport) to learn how you can help protect your airport. http://www.aopa.org/asn http://www.aopa.org/asn http://www.aopa.org/info/certified/lsp http://www.aopa.org/info/certified/lsp http://www.aopa.org/asn/communitysupport http://www.aopa.org/asn/communitysupport
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