January 27, 2004


Citizens groups today came out against the ballot language to be used for the airport referendum vote to be held March 9. The wording of the ballot question will be, “Do you favor relocation of the Panama City-Bay County International Airport at no cost to Bay County taxpayers?” This stands in contrast to widespread citizen requests for a direct “yes” or “no” question regarding the current airport proposal for West Bay.

Commissioners Cornel Brock, George Gainer, and Jerry Girvin voted for the slanted wording, whereas John Newberry opposed the contrived language. Mike Ropa was absent. The three commissioners who voted for this ballot language are the same three who have expressed strong opposition to an airport referendum in the past, and resisted placing it on the ballot. They also voted in tandem to pass the airport Detailed Specific Area Plans in December, the county’s last official action to enable the proposed airport, before the referendum could take place.

“It’s a real slap in the face to the citizens of Bay County,” said Art Stewart of the Panhandle Citizens’ Coalition. "A large majority of citizens have indicated they want a referendum on this project. It’s very clear that these three commissioners have decided that if they must put a referendum question on the ballot, it will be one that is so vague, ambiguous and slanted, that the voters will not be able simply to say, ‘I’m against this project.’ They are, in effect, using push-poll tactics, which is pretty reprehensible on a ballot.”

“The ballot question is meaningless when it says ‘at no cost to Bay County taxpayers.’ We already know full well that county taxpayers will pay considerably for this project,” said Diane Brown of Citizens for the Bay. “First, the main funding sources for the proposed airport are state and federal taxes and fees, which we all pay. In fact, the state has already spent $16 million in public funds for this project. Then, there is the local match. Most of this would come from the sale of the existing airport, which taxpayers paid for many years ago, and supported through fees

passed on to passengers. Now let’s look at infrastructure costs -- roads, water, sewage, fire and police, and other public services. Most of the improvements required to support the proposed airport and related development will be paid for by the Bay County taxpayers. So in effect, this ballot question poses a condition that can never happen.”

Frank Gorham, Chairman of “Friends of PFN”, an organization of local pilots and aviation enthusiasts, said, “The airport referendum language chosen Tuesday by the Bay County Commission is outrageously biased, misleading and insulting to Bay County voters. It is clear that the Board’s majority does not want the public to vote on a clear Yes or No question. We had hoped that sanity and good judgment might have prevailed at the County Commission, but given their track record so far on this issue, this is not surprising. However, all is not lost - voters will express their opinions very clearly on this arrogant abuse of power in two ways: First, by voting

NO on this offensive ballot question. Then by voting NO on these Commission members themselves, as they come up for re-election."

Diane Brown also noted that the commissioners would not allow any public comment on the issue before they voted. “This is contrary to the right of the public to participate under the Sunshine Law,” she said. “The Florida Supreme Court has raised the public’s right to comment before a decision is made to an ‘inalienable right.’ In their rush to rubber-stamp this outrage, they ran over the rights of those they are supposed to be representing -- the citizens of Bay County,” Brown stated.

This issue may not be over yet. The ballot language itself may be grounds for a challenge Stewart said, “State statues mandate that all ballot language be clear and unambiguous. We have before us a question that essentially asks, ‘Would you support some airport, sometime, somewhere, IF it doesn’t cost the taxpayers, even if we already know it will?’ But the real question is: How stupid do they think people are? In any event, this will backfire on them, and they will lose what little public support they now have, " said Stewart.

CONTACT: Diane Brown, 234-5071, Citizens for the Bay

Art Stewart -785-9211, Panhandle Citizens Coalition

Frank Gorham, 747-0514, Friends of PFN
 

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