NAPLES, Fla. — A new petition is gaining traction calling for the protection of the Naples Airport as city council seeks to tighten its grip on airport operations.
The group behind the petition, Responsible Government Naples (RGN), says it's fighting for transparency and believes officials in local government are overstepping their authority in airport decisions.
WATCH AS A PETITION SPARKS STRONG OPINIONS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AIRPORT DEBATE:
"We believe that the airport needs to be run from the independent body which is elected for this purpose and they have fiduciary duty," said Branimir Brankov, president of Responsible Government Naples.
Brankov explained that their newly formed coalition, RGN, focuses on a broad range of issues with a central focus on government accountability.
RGN's first petition is urging county and city leaders to consider the airport's economic impact and calls on the Naples Airport Authority to halt its exploratory study on relocation.
"The Naples Airport is more than a transportation hub; it is a cornerstone of our community’s economy, safety, and connectivity," the petition says.
One of those who supports change is Mary Young with the Old Naples Association. She believes city leaders should continue exploring the possibility of relocating the airport in the future and ways to mitigate noise in the area.
"We recognize the economic advantages of having the airport, we're not against that. What we're very concerned about is the health and safety risks of what we see as out of control volume growth at the airport," Young explained.
The debate over the city's role in airport matters intensified recently when some council members accused airport leaders of lacking transparency over a recent hangar expansion they say flew under the radar.
“The executive director refuses to inform the community about where we’re headed in terms of aircraft operation volume,” City Council Vice Mayor Terry Hutchison said during a May 27 meeting, referring to Chris Rozansky, who leads the airport. “He either doesn’t know, isn’t competent enough to know, or refuses to share it with us."
While city leaders ultimately agreed they want more control now with permitting, RGN says the airport's independence should be protected.
"It needs to make decision which are in the interest, the safety and the operations of the airport," Brankov said.
The airport authority takes no local or state tax money, but operates from aviation fuel sales and airport user fees.
Airport commissioners are expected to discuss more about its future plans at its next meeting on June 19.
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