Lawrence Mayor under fire over reallocation of airport revenues
June 24, 2011, 12:33 pm
When the Lawrence City Council approved a budget last summer that called for a 16 percent cut to the airport budget, the Federal Aviation Administration took notice. The cutting of the airport's maintenance crew created a $85,000 surplus to the budget, which was then diverted into a general city fund, which is illegal, according to the Eagle Tribune, of North Andover, Massachusetts.
The FAA believes that Mayor William Lantiqua compromised the safety of the facility by taking its money, potentially causing a rise in pilots life insurance claims. The money has now been moved into a special fund due to the FAA's concerns, the media outlet reports.
"The city is responsible to operate and maintain the airport in a safe and serviceable condition," Bryon Rakoff, acting manager of the FAA's Airports Division in New England, said in an April 27 letter to Lantigua, quoted by the news source.
City officials claim the amount of money that was moved from the airport budget to the general fund was small, but the issue has been resolved. The FAA is continuing its investigation into the incident and the City Council voted this week to reestablish the airport's enterprise fund.
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