Here are a few simple facts surrounding the Onaway Airport and “Rogers City County’s” financial woes. First and foremost, an airport is critical infrastructure in a community. The location of the Onaway Airport has several important advantages over an airport in Rogers City, too many to elaborate in a letter to the editor.

The county has gotten into serious financial problems due to a lack of oversight and fiscal mismanagement. The money spent on the County Development Commission and the Economic Development Commissions has proven to be a complete waste of taxpayer money. The money that was wasted there alone could have not only maintained the Onaway Airport, it could have in fact added to improvements at the facility. It’s interesting that the county’s fiscal problems began when the board was reduced from eight to five members, when the west end, Onaway, Millersburg, and Posen, effectively lost representation on the board.

There is a false perception that the county can sell and allow private development of the public property of the Onaway Airport. The deed from 1964 specifies that the property must be used for a “public purpose” as is all publicly owned property. Presque Isle Electric and Gas Co-op is not a public entity and therefore does not qualify to put a formal proposal on the table. PIE&G membership will strongly object to a proposal that would be nothing more than a bail out of Presque Isle County.

WAYNE VERMILYA,

Allis Township