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Residents urge immediate appointment to airport authority, alleging mismanagement and legal costs
Summary
Multiple speakers at the Dinwiddie County Board meeting urged appointment of Jason Shields to the Dinwiddie Airport and Industrial Authority and raised allegations of a hostile environment, possible FAA grant-assurance violations, expensive litigation and FOIA delays; speakers asked for a board response and transparency.
A string of public-comment speakers used Wednesday’s Dinwiddie County Board meeting to press supervisors to appoint Jason Shields to the Dinwiddie Airport and Industrial Authority and to demand greater transparency and accountability from the authority.
Speakers alleged a hostile environment at the airport, recounted difficulties in negotiating leases, and warned that the county could face FAA grant-assurance liabilities that would require refunding federal grants. An attorney familiar with airport business practices said the authority’s tone and unpredictable decisions discourage investment and warned the county might have to repay FAA funds for grant-assurance violations.
One speaker described a recent legal proceeding in which an injunction case was dismissed with prejudice; another urged the board to act immediately and replace authority leadership. Several aviation-business speakers said they had been told they could not work with particular airport tenants or service providers, and called for an authority composed of local citizens and aviation professionals.
Board members acknowledged the comments; the public record at the meeting included calls for a prompt appointment to the authority and for the board to seek greater clarity on recent litigation and any FAA exposure. The board did not take same‑day action to change appointments at the meeting; citizens indicated they would continue to press the issue.
