Paulding Airport Board Legislation Not Likely This Year

DALLAS, GA — Legislation that would wade into the simmering political feud over Paulding County's airport authority isn't likely this year, the leader of the county's legislative delegation said.

State Rep. Howard Maxwell, R-Dallas, told an area newspaper he doesn't plan to seek approval of the local legislation, which would remove industrial authority members from the county airport board, the Marietta Daily Journal reported.

That news comes after the county's Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on March 14 to ask the Paulding delegation to support the measure.

The legislation woudl removed Paulding County Industiral Building Authority members from automatic membership on the county Airport Authority, which is required by a 1972 law.

The airport authority currently includes nine members, six of whom are building authority members and three of whom are appointed by the county commission.

Under the proposed change, the commission chairman and Dallas and Hiram city councils would appoint one member each, with the remaining two members appointed by the rest of the county commission as a group.

The airport has been a source of controversy in Paulding County for years, with some officials wanting to make it large enough to handle commercial traffic and others pushing to keep it a small, local airport.

Earlier this month, the commission cut ties with its longtime law firm after members learned the firm helped the commission's former chairman try to transfer land from the county to the airport authority.

Commissioners were upset after learning that former Chairman David Austin signed a deed on December 30 — the day before he left office — attempting to grant 163 acres at the county airport to the airport authority.

The commission blocked the move although its current chairman, David Carmichael, has maintained that Austin was within his rights to make the transfer.

Carmichael has said he supports legislation that would give one airport board appointment to the industrial authority because it would have a better chance of gaining approval by state lawmakers.

The Georgia General Assembly's final day in session for this year is scheduled to be Thursday.

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