It seems to me there has been a lot of turmoil around the airport lately.  A very small group of disgruntled tenants have created a lot of unnecessary fuss that has had airport staff running in circles for weeks.

Thousands and thousands of dollars’ worth of staff time has been dedicated to answering unsubstantiated rumor and innuendo, State Auditor requests, allegations made to the FAA and multiple public records requests. While all of these unnecessary tasks are within a citizen’s right to request, I don’t believe it is what the vast majority of our airport tenants want us to spend their tax dollars on, when this same time and money could be going to projects that enhance our airport and project a positive image.

The city of Arlington pays the state to have their auditors go over our books, processes and procedures every year. Sometimes an issue comes up, often times it does not. This is one of the checks and balances the city of Arlington and the airport impose upon themselves to ensure we’re doing what we’re supposed to do. An independent third party review gives us the guidance we need to make sure we are complying with a very complex regulatory environment.

As some of you know, there will be an exit interview with the state auditors on Monday. We look forward to this opportunity to discuss and correct any items that may turn up. That’s why we pay them.

But, is it really necessary to cause dissension and chaos when we already have these checks and balances in place? I don’t think so. In fact, solving airport issues is what staff gets paid to do. We are here to serve the public and our airport tenants. There are many diverse businesses here at the airport that have been here for many years working in harmony. I see no reason this can’t continue. They are what make our airport unique, vibrant and financially stable.

So, if you have an issue, bring it to us and we’ll do our best to correct it. If you’ve got an axe to grind, please leave it at home.