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Residents urge Dinwiddie supervisors to remove nonresident airport authority members amid allegations of grant-assurance violations
Summary
Multiple residents told the Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors they want nonresident appointees removed from the Dinwiddie Airport Industrial Authority and warned an aviation attorney’s report could mean the authority violated federal grant assurances, risking more than $3 million in federal grants and tenant losses.
Several residents urged the Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 15 to stop appointing nonresidents to the Dinwiddie Airport Industrial Authority and to reconsider reappointing a current board member.
Dennis Harry and other speakers said local representation matters for authority oversight and asked the board not to reappoint Johnny Mason Jr. to the airport authority. "As residents of Dinwiddie County, we humbly request that we remove all non residents of Dinwiddie County from the Airport Authority Board," Dennis Harry told the board.
A representative for Central Virginia Aviation, who later identified himself to the board as Eric Wye, told supervisors that three aviation companies were told by airport representatives they could not do business in Dinwiddie County if they had business relationships with Central Virginia Aviation. He said one company relocated because of those restrictions and another moved to Chesapeake, costing lease payments and fuel purchases.
"An investigation by aviation attorney Kirk Schafer states that the Dinwiddie Airport Industrial Authority may have violated federal grant assurances, which would lead to the forced clawback of over $3,000,000 in grants accepted by the Dinwiddie Airport Authority," Wye said in public comment. He warned that, without a course correction by Dec. 31, Central Virginia Aviation could be forced to leave the county, resulting in job and revenue losses.
County staff and the county administrator told the board no appointment votes were on the evening's agenda and that any future appointment would be brought to the board for consideration. The board took no immediate action on the airport board memberships at the Oct. 15 meeting.
Why it matters: The allegation that a local airport authority may have violated federal grant assurances is a financial and operational risk for the county. Federal grant-assurance violations can require repayment of grant funds and jeopardize airport funding and tenant agreements.
What’s next: County staff said they will keep the public informed when appointment decisions are scheduled. The statement by Central Virginia Aviation and the reference to an attorney’s ongoing investigation indicate there may be follow-up outreach or review before any appointments are finalized.
