Wed, Apr 24, 2013
Councilman Files FOI Request To Make Information Public
A Windsor, Ontario, Canada, City Councilman has filed a Freedom of Information request in an attempt to gain the release of a lease agreement between Windsor Airport and Premier Aviation. While Councilman Alan Halberstadt said he knows how much rent the company pays, he thinks it should be disclosed to the general public, which he is currently not allowed to do.
The city denied Halberstadt's initial request. City clerk Valerie Critchley wrote in a letter that, after consultation with an unnamed third party, she would not disclose how much rent Premier pays to the airport. An appeal is currently being reviewed by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, according to a report appearing in the Windsor Star.
Premier recently opened an MRO facility at Windsor Airport that reportedly cost taxpayers $23 million (Canadian). That figure included some $18 million in incentives from the city. Halberstadt said that the company does not pay property tax "because it's on airport lands," but his constituents have been asking how much the company pays in rent.
Mayor Eddie Francis said Halberstadt is creating controversy where none needs to be. He has said publicly that the rent is "nominal," but that the council did not agree to the terms of the deal so that the city could collect rent. He said Premier is the first company "in ages" to be wooed away from Quebec to start a new business in Windsor, and that was the basis for the deal.
Premier projected that the MRO would create 200 new jobs in Windsor in the first two years of its operation, and up to 500 jobs over seven years.
More News
Aero Linx: International Business Aviation Council Ltd IBAC promotes the growth of business aviation, benefiting all sectors of the industry and all regions of the world. As a non->[...]
"During the annual inspection of the B-24 “Diamond Lil” this off-season, we made the determination that 'Lil' needs some new feathers. Due to weathering, the cloth-cove>[...]
Also: Bushcat Woes, Hummingbird 300 SL 4-Seat Heli Kit, Carbon Cub UL The newest Junkers is a faithful recreation that mates a 7-cylinder Verner radial engine to the airframe offer>[...]
Also: Seaplane Pilots Association, Rotax 916’s First Year, Gene Conrad After a decade and a half of struggling with the FAA and other aero-politics, G100UL is in production a>[...]
Also: Martha King Scholarship, Montaer Grows, Textron Updates Pistons, FlySto The FAA is hiring thousands of air traffic controllers, but the window to apply will only be open for >[...]