Airport Board Members' Pay Takes Flight

Up,up and away! That is what will happen to Airport money.

It was not hard to find. I don't think that they were trying to be tricky were they with their headline?

Mind you, you needed to go to the Council Committees page and figure out that the Item, "Report of the Striking Committee of November 17, 2008," meant that certain City Officials might get a nice add-on to their salaries.

You have to admit that these people have balls.

Soon after the glowing report about the profit that the Airport made, the City's Striking Committee decided that the Airport's Board Members deserved to make some extra money for all of their hard work as a Board Member: $6,500 for the Chair and $4000 per Board Member plus $200 per diem. If they attend one meeting a month for a year that's another $2400. Considering that there could be up to 12 Board Members, there's a nice chunk of money that is flying out the window!

Speaking of Board members, here is the advertisement that was posted back in June for people to apply to be Members of the Board. The Competition ended in July but I am not yet aware of anyone being appointed. Are you? So many people must have applied that it has taken them so long to complete the appointment process.

I'll bet you are interested in knowing who are the members of the Board today. Who are the lucky people who will be getting a nice sum of money to help them out to meet their expenses in all of these trying economic times that we are living in.

I am going strictly by the YQG website now. If it is not up-to-date, it is not my fault. I do not recall hearing about any changes.

Oh my goodness, it is the Mayor and a number of its senior City Administrators who are the Board Members now. I wonder if and when they are going to be replaced.

Remember this Star Editorial:

• "Windsor Airport; Board's operation is key; 11-19-2007:
  
  council opted to continue operating the airport as a corporation and to create a new executive board with community, business and aviation representatives. While this might be a prudent approach, council needs to ensure the people appointed to this board place an emphasis on transparency, openness and the public's right to know about public money and public entities.
  
  The lack of details presented before councillors voted on the airport's future last week is emblematic of broader problems with this city and its arms-length corporations, which are not accountable to residents in any direct and meaningful way. Councillor Drew Dilkens expressed frustration with the lack of information he had to review before casting his vote on the airport and city residents share in that frustration."

Here is when Eddie said the Board would be appointed:

• "Windsor Airport to get $1.2M upgrade, August 18, 2008
  
  Mayor Eddie Francis added how he expects a report will come to city council in September detailing a recommendation for new community members to be appointed to the board of directors at the airport.
  
  The mayor, Skorobohacz and treasurer Onoria Colucci have been acting as the board since the city took control of operation at the airport more than a year ago."

Oh my, here is a troubling thought for our Mayor. Go back to the Minutes of the Striking Committee Meeting above. Did you see any declaration of a pecuniary interest?

According to the Striking Committee meeting Report, the Chair of the Committee was our Mayor. He voted to approve the payment to the Board Members. How could that be? He is the Chair of the Board of the Airport too!

Did he vote to give himself $6,500 per year?

Frankly, I do not see the need to have outside Board Members and have to go through a whole selection process. Why give strangers the money?

If they need 12 Board Members who are experienced, why don't they just appoint the Mayor and the Members of Council as the Board Members as well as the General Manager. That makes 12 people in total. That keeps the money all in the family and they get a nice Christmas bonus too courtesy of the taxpayers.

Gee, do you think that the Star will write a vicious Editorial about the payment to the Board members the way they did with respect to the pay to public servants in the Editorial on Saturday? I doubt it.

One final matter...I wonder what the verbal item was on the Striking Committee Agenda and what the verbal directive was all about. Is that the way to run a City operation. No record being kept in the Minutes!

Something is in the air and I do NOT mean airplanes.

PS. The November 10 Striking Committee meeting had deferred appointments to the YQG Board "for a further report."