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Orange County board pauses Clay Lacy’s John Wayne Airport financing plan after heated policy debate
Summary
After two years of negotiation and a day of intense questioning, the Board of Supervisors voted to continue consideration of Clay Lacy Aviation’s request to use private-activity (tax-exempt) bonds to finance a new FBO at John Wayne Airport, directing staff to return with added default protections, transparency and revenue‑sharing options.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 12 voted to continue for up to 90 days consideration of a proposal that would let Clay Lacy Aviation use private-activity tax-exempt financing to build a new fixed-base operator facility at John Wayne Airport.
Supervisor Don Wagner led a vocal opposition, saying the county would be “picking winners and losers” if it allowed one private operator exclusive access to the financing mechanism. Wagner warned the move could set a precedent and urged the board to hold Clay Lacy to existing lease terms instead of extending a special financing benefit. “That’s not our role as the government,” he said during a lengthy exchange.
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