Hinds County joins Jackson in fight for airport control
Published 3:00 pm Tuesday, January 5, 2016
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Hinds County supervisors say they will join Jackson officials in resisting any attempt by the state to take control of the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport.
The city of Jackson currently has authority to oversee the airport, The Clarion-Ledger (http://on.thec-l.com/1IOk9TE) reports. Hinds County District 1 Supervisor Robert Graham says the county could be negatively impacted if money from the main airport isn’t available for Hawkins Field in Jackson, the airport’s original site, which depends on the airport.
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Councilman De’Keither Stamps said during the supervisor’ meeting Monday that Jackson would lose power and money if it loses the asset.
“It makes no sense to take control of the airport from Jackson,” Stamps said.
State Sen. Josh Harkins, a Republican from Flowood, says he will file a bill to give control of the airport to the state and have a tri-county authority oversee it. He says his proposed legislation isn’t seeking to take tax revenue from Jackson.
“It’s a regional airport, and it should be governed as such,” he said. “It’s a regional asset and a major economic driver. Times have changed, and the landscape is different than it was in the 1960s when the Legislature authorized the original airport authority.”
Under the proposal, the governor would appoint seven members to a regional board to oversee the airport operations. Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties would each appoint two members of the board.
The Jackson Municipal Airport Authority currently oversees airport operations. Authority members are appointed by the mayor of Jackson and confirmed by the City Council.
