City Council Had Diverted $400,000 From A Road Project For The Airport

The City Council in Jeffersonville, IN voted recently to divert about $400,000 from a road project to go towards the expansion of Clark Regional Airport (KJVY).

But Mayor Mike Moore was having none of it.

Television station WDRB report that the city had allocated $4.6 million to a project to widen Holmans Lane in jeffersonville, but at a recent council meeting, five of nine council members voted to divert the $400,000 to a runway expansion project at the airport. But Moore vetoed the shift, saying "every dollar needs to be committed and used in Jeffersonville."

"My veto has nothing to do with the airport," he added.

Council member Ed Zastawny said he had supported diverting the money to the airport project so that the airport could attract bigger planes, which would lead to more business in the region. The $400,000 was to be part of a $750,000 local match for a $10 million AIP grant for the runway lengthening. The remaining match would come from other Clark County government entities.

Zastawny said both the road widening and the airport improvement project could be accommodated, but Mayor Moore disagreed.

The Mayor's vote can be overridden, but it would take a 6-3 vote to do so. The previous vote to divert the money was 5-3 with one member absent. The council meets again next Monday.

FMI: http://cityofjeff.net