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Councilman Washington asks for investigation after state bills and airport governance changes draw concern
Summary
Councilman Darren Washington urged the council to form an investigative committee to examine airport governance, use of TIF funds for Griffith Airport and draft state legislation that he said could reduce the city's control of the Gary/Chicago Airport.
Councilman Darren Washington used his remarks during the March 4 meeting to urge the council to investigate recent developments involving the Gary/Chicago International Airport, state legislative proposals and the use of city funds to acquire Griffith Airport.
Washington told colleagues that House Bill 1001 (the state budget bill) contained language he said would reassign mayoral appointment authority at the airport to outside jurisdictions. He also referenced another bill (HB 1461) that he said could give the governor authority to reclassify or convert interstate highways to toll roads, a change he said could affect regional transportation planning and the airport’s governance.
"We have a federal compact, and we're working with the Chicago Airport. It has been stated that the state wants us to give up or certain representatives wants us to give up that compact, which is not a good thing," Washington said, describing a potential erosion of local authority over the airport.
Washington also raised questions about the airport board's purchase of the Griffith Airport and asked why Gary TIF funds were used to support that acquisition when Griffith is outside the city's TIF district. He asked the council to consider forming an investigative committee to look into the legal and fiscal details of those decisions and any implications for the city's airport leadership and TIF use.
Council response and next steps
Attorney Williams summarized the council's procedural options for forming committees and for investigation: under council rules (section 2-2-13), the council president may create a committee without a vote of the full body; appointing the committee chair requires a majority vote. Council President and committee chairs were asked to consider Washington's request and Attorney Williams said he would share the relevant research on committee formation with the body.
No formal investigative committee vote was taken on March 4. President Latham and Councilwoman Barnes Caldwell acknowledged Washington’s request and Attorney Williams said he would provide the rules and the research needed to proceed.
Ending: Council members directed the attorney to share procedural guidance; Washington indicated he will continue discussions with the president and committee leadership about initiating a formal inquiry.
