OT: Jackson airport land battle over

[onewoof]

Leased land tax revenue goes to the airport by federal law. City of Jackson gets none of it. Pearl and Flowood will start development soon.

Jackson reaches deal with Flowood, Pearl and Rankin County to end long airport boundary battle

The City of Jackson approved a settlement over airport land with Flowood and Pearl — a deal some call cooperation, others question. What does it mean?

www.clarionledger.com

 

[CochiseCowbell]

Bob, you still stranded?

 

[champdawg.sixpack]

The State needs to take over the airport. Place is turble

 

[onewoof]

The State needs to take over the airport. Place is turble

The rotating back lit portraits of the city council just doesn't seem as relevant now

 

[HotMop]

Bob from Bogue Chitto is conspicuously absent now?

 

[Shmuley]

Leased land tax revenue goes to the airport by federal law. City of Jackson gets none of it. Pearl and Flowood will start development soon.

Jackson reaches deal with Flowood, Pearl and Rankin County to end long airport boundary battle

The City of Jackson approved a settlement over airport land with Flowood and Pearl — a deal some call cooperation, others question. What does it mean?

www.clarionledger.com

The annexation litigation began in 2018. Getting that litigation resolved was difficult but not insurmountable. Once the black nationalist criminal mayor was thrown out and replaced by a mayor with just a modicum of sense, the resolution of the annexation litigation was smooth sailing. Common sense solutions were obvious and easily obtained.

Now, the other lawsuit ….. the one filed in federal court by the prior black nationalists and their incompetent appointees on the airport authority board …. will not be resolved short of a final decision by the presiding federal judge. And that decision will be appealed to the 5th circuit who will reverse and render in favor of the state. Eventually, the airport will be managed more competently and the delegation in DC will start pumping appropriations into the airport (so will the legislature) and the airport will turn the corner. Until the nonsense in Jackson and the incompetence currently in positions of authority is sidelined finally, there are no pathways available for improvement.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

The annexation litigation began in 2018. Getting that litigation resolved was difficult but not insurmountable. Once the black nationalist criminal mayor was thrown out and replaced by a mayor with just a modicum of sense, the resolution of the annexation litigation was smooth sailing. Common sense solutions were obvious and easily obtained.

Agree, the land battle was always stupid. Funny thing is, JMAA could have been making money for years there. Secret is, there are rules regarding airport development plus it's still Jacktown.......and not a whole crap ton of people WANT to develop around there. You cannot give the land away and give tax incentives. Not as easy as your typical government giveaways, not by a long sight.

Now, the other lawsuit ….. the one filed in federal court by the prior black nationalists and their incompetent appointees on the airport authority board …. will not be resolved short of a final decision by the presiding federal judge. And that decision will be appealed to the 5th circuit who will reverse and render in favor of the state. Eventually, the airport will be managed more competently and the delegation in DC will start pumping appropriations into the airport (so will the legislature) and the airport will turn the corner. Until the nonsense in Jackson and the incompetence currently in positions of authority is sidelined finally, there are no pathways available for improvement.

I don't think so. I'm with you on the capabilities of the folks running the airport, but the state still cannot take away what is rightfully owned by the City of Jackson. Plus there are grant sponsorship obligations. We're either going to have to make peace with the CoJ still owning and running the airport, or other entities are going to have to buy all or some of it and join the JMAA.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I don't think so. I'm with you on the capabilities of the folks running the airport, but the state still cannot take away what is rightfully owned by the City of Jackson. Plus there are grant sponsorship obligations. We're either going to have to make peace with the CoJ still owning and running the airport, or other entities are going to have to buy all or some of it and join the JMAA.

I’ve long thought that resolution is going to involve money going from the state to the city… most likely in the form of trade-offs (e.g., more state money to the city to aid it because so much of the city property is owned by the state and in return, the city allows the state a gradual, constant buy-in / voice / control of JMAA…

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I’ve long thought that resolution is going to involve money going from the state to the city… most likely in the form of trade-offs (e.g., more state money to the city to aid it because so much of the city property is owned by the state and in return, the city allows the state a gradual, constant buy-in / voice / control of JMAA…

A better solution would be to bring in Rankin County and maybe even other municipalities to actually complete a true 'Authority' along with the CoJ. But to do that, again, they'll have to bring their checkbooks.

It's extremely rare for a state to run an airport. They gonna try and take over Gulfport next? GTR? I get that it's the capital city, but still. I believe maybe Boston-Logan and one of the NYC airports are state-owned (and run through an authority), but there aren't many. So it's not out of the realm of possibility, but either way, the state will have to buy it.

I don't know why they even have an authority now, since they only have one owner. Similar to Birmingham. If they keep it that way long term, they ought to just do like ATL and run it through a Dept of Aviation division of the city. Get rid of the authority members.

 

[Shmuley]

I don't think so. I'm with you on the capabilities of the folks running the airport, but the state still cannot take away what is rightfully owned by the City of Jackson. Plus there are grant sponsorship obligations. We're either going to have to make peace with the CoJ still owning and running the airport, or other entities are going to have to buy all or some of it and join the JMAA.

The premise of your argument is erroneous, goat. SB2216 did nothing to "... take away what is rightfully owned by the City of Jackson." The statute reformed the structure and make-up of the airport authority governing board. The City still owns the land and buildings that are the airport. The City will continue to own the land and buildings that are the airport. After the 5th Circuit reverses and renders Carlton Reeves, the City will continue to derive sales tax on goods and services delivered at the airport.

I agree with you that the most plausible solution would be for the state to pay Jackson for the airport and be done with this $h!+ forever. Politically, that is a death sentence for the new mayor.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

The premise of your argument is erroneous, goat. SB2216 did nothing to "... take away what is rightfully owned by the City of Jackson." The statute reformed the structure and make-up of the airport authority governing board.

You can't do that. It's the City's board.

 

[Shmuley]

It's extremely rare for a state to run an airport. They gonna try and take over Gulfport next? GTR? I get that it's the capital city, but still. I believe maybe Boston-Logan and one of the NYC airports are state-owned (and run through an authority), but there aren't many. So it's not out of the realm of possibility, but either way, the state will have to buy it.

You are correct. This may be the primary reason why the state will not consider a buy-out of the airport. Every regional airport authority around the state (GTR, Gulfport, Meridian, etc) will object to state ownership.

 

[Shmuley]

You can't do that. It's the City's board.

The legislature passed the enabling legislation in 1960 to provide that members of the governing board would be appointed by the Jackson City Council. The legislature passed an amendment to its enabling legislation to restructure the governing board to provide broader representation and alter the manner of the appointment of board members. It is the legislature's purview to alter or amend its statutes. The legislature has the authority to do this. And it did it. And the 5th Circuit has already affirmed this. So, yes. Yes you CAN do this.

 

[patdog]

How was this even a controversy. Sounds like all 3 sides walk away with what was always their legal right to in the first place. I guess City of Jackson could have been protesting the Pearl/Flowood annexation, but if they wanted to annex that land into the city they had 60 years to do it.

 

[onewoof]

How was this even a controversy. Sounds like all 3 sides walk away with what was always their legal right to in the first place. I guess City of Jackson could have been protesting the Pearl/Flowood annexation, but if they wanted to annex that land into the city they had 60 years to do it.

From my limited understanding of what the city wanted was the money to go to the city and then back to the airport. But, that will not happen. Money goes to the airport and only the airport.

 

[RocketDawg]

Do all the controversies and management issues account for passenger fall-off after a brief Covid recovery?

BTS | Transtats Airports

TranStats provides one-stop shopping for intermodal transportation data for researchers, decision-makers, as well as the general public interested in transportation issues.

www.transtats.bts.gov

 

[onewoof]

Do all the controversies and management issues account for passenger fall-off after a brief Covid recovery?

BTS | Transtats Airports

TranStats provides one-stop shopping for intermodal transportation data for researchers, decision-makers, as well as the general public interested in transportation issues.

www.transtats.bts.gov

Is travel down 2H 2025 nationwide? From what I can tell it's down some

 

[patdog]

From my limited understanding of what the city wanted was the money to go to the city and then back to the airport. But, that will not happen. Money goes to the airport and only the airport.

Nope. If City of Jackson wants to lose that airport, that'd be a good way to do it. Of course politics would get involved. But with Republicans in power now, that'd give them all the excuse they needed.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

The legislature passed the enabling legislation in 1960 to provide that members of the governing board would be appointed by the Jackson City Council. The legislature passed an amendment to its enabling legislation to restructure the governing board to provide broader representation and alter the manner of the appointment of board members. It is the legislature's purview to alter or amend its statutes. The legislature has the authority to do this. And it did it. And the 5th Circuit has already affirmed this. So, yes. Yes you CAN do this.

You're right, I took your comment as control i.e. ownership of the airport.

No matter who is on the board, the City of Jackson is still the owner (along with JMAA). That's one reason why I would not even have a board if was them, but probably too late for that now.

 

[johnson86-1]

From my limited understanding of what the city wanted was the money to go to the city and then back to the airport. But, that will not happen. Money goes to the airport and only the airport.

Really depends on how the property in question was acquired. Not all land owned by an airport authority is necessarily FAA obligated. If they didn't purchase or improve the land with FAA money or incorporate it into the airport otherwise, if Jackson successfully annexed the property, they could have taxed it and potentially exerted influence to have the airport authority spend that on non-airport costs. But if the authority owned it, they would only be taxing long term leases there. Really don't know what this fight was over. I assume because of the other litigation, they were just scared to do anything reasonable because they didn't understand everything and were worried it would somehow hurt them in that litigation.

 

[Villagedawg]

Leased land tax revenue goes to the airport by federal law. City of Jackson gets none of it. Pearl and Flowood will start development soon.

Jackson reaches deal with Flowood, Pearl and Rankin County to end long airport boundary battle

The City of Jackson approved a settlement over airport land with Flowood and Pearl — a deal some call cooperation, others question. What does it mean?

www.clarionledger.com

After reading that, I still don't know what going on. The city can't annex in Rankin County yet the last step is for the city to pass a resolution annexing their part in Rankin County. The city owns the land. JMAA owns the land. The city isn't annexing anything. They will just collect taxes on the land they annex. Jesus. Maybe I can't read like I thought I could.

 

[johnson86-1]

You're right, I took your comment as control i.e. ownership of the airport.

No matter who is on the board, the City of Jackson is still the owner (along with JMAA). That's one reason why I would not even have a board if was them, but probably too late for that now.

I don't think they city can just not have a board for a statutorily created entity. And ownership within the airport itself is just about meaningless. THe airport authority operates the airport and the FAA grant assurances prohibits any money from leaving the airport. Even if it could operate at a huge profit (it probably can't), the money has to go back into the airport other than holding some reasonable reserves.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I don't think they city can just not have a board for a statutorily created entity.

Not now. But they never had to create the board in the first place, and this issue wouldn't even be up for debate. But again, too late for that now.

Of course Jackhole was different back then.

 

[johnson86-1]

Not now. But they never had to create the board in the first place, and this issue wouldn't even be up for debate. But again, too late for that now.

Of course Jackhole was different back then.

I'm not sure a city can just decide to own and operate an airport in another county. Even if they can, once the statute was passed, I'm not sure it can just decline to establish. Depends on whether the legislation authorized the creation of the entity or created the entity.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I'm not sure a city can just decide to own and operate an airport in another county. Even if they can, once the statute was passed, I'm not sure it can just decline to establish. Depends on whether the legislation authorized the creation of the entity or created the entity.

Lots of cities (inside MS) own and operate airports, with no board/authority. And some counties and other entities.

 

[Shmuley]

After reading that, I still don't know what going on. The city can't annex in Rankin County ....

Au contraire mon frère. Compliments of the short-sighted dumb@$$es in the 1960 Mississippi legislature, the City of Jackson was given a one-time authorization to "annex the property that would become the Jackson Municipal Airport in Rankin County." And Jackson did so. This short-sighted dumbassedry is exactly why this situation with the airport has festered and abscessed into a putrid, race-based cluster 17. Why in the actual 17 did the legislature think it would be a good idea to allow the City of Jackson to literally INCORPORATE property in an adjacent county, not contiguous to the corporate limit of that city and without the ability for the City of Jackson to extend municipal services to that newly incorporated property. STUPID AS 17.

The same law that gave Jackson the authorization to annex the airport property also states that if the City of Jackson wishes to later annex additional property in Rankin County and can establish a legitimate reason to do so for airport purposes, it must FIRST request and receive the consent of the Rankin County Board of Supervisors before initiating an annexation ordinance. Hence the reason for the county being involved in the resolution of the current annexation battle.

 

[johnson86-1]

Lots of cities (inside MS) own and operate airports, with no board/authority. And some counties and other entities.

Yes, but the ones I know of off hand are within their county. And I wasn't saying they can't, I just don't know that they can. Mississippi is mostly a home rule state, so municipalities can do a lot of things they aren't specifically authorized to do, provided those things aren't expressly prohibited, but I wouldn't assume that a city can operate without any regard for city or county boundaries. That could be why the JMAA was authorized in the first place, because they wanted to utilize land that otherwise wouldn't be available to them to use as an airport.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Yes, but the ones I know of off hand are within their county. And I wasn't saying they can't, I just don't know that they can. Mississippi is mostly a home rule state, so municipalities can do a lot of things they aren't specifically authorized to do, provided those things aren't expressly prohibited, but I wouldn't assume that a city can operate without any regard for city or county boundaries. That could be why the JMAA was authorized in the first place, because they wanted to utilize land that otherwise wouldn't be available to them to use as an airport.

Boards are usually created for one of two reasons:

1 - They have multiple entities underneath them (such as Gulfport, Biloxi and Harrison County being the GPT board);
2 - The city or whoever wants to own but doesn't want to 17 with the management/operations (Jackhole) other than what they can gain from it.

Notice that when they finally figured out that there are only minimal ways to skim and steal money off an airport, these things finally died down? Federal oversight on airports is heavy and I think they now kinda understand. That's why the airport is still viable too, and hasn't been run into the ground.

 

[RocketDawg]

Au contraire mon frère. Compliments of the short-sighted dumb@$$es in the 1960 Mississippi legislature, the City of Jackson was given a one-time authorization to "annex the property that would become the Jackson Municipal Airport in Rankin County." And Jackson did so. This short-sighted dumbassedry is exactly why this situation with the airport has festered and abscessed into a putrid, race-based cluster 17. Why in the actual 17 did the legislature think it would be a good idea to allow the City of Jackson to literally INCORPORATE property in an adjacent county, not contiguous to the corporate limit of that city and without the ability for the City of Jackson to extend municipal services to that newly incorporated property. STUPID AS 17.

The same law that gave Jackson the authorization to annex the airport property also states that if the City of Jackson wishes to later annex additional property in Rankin County and can establish a legitimate reason to do so for airport purposes, it must FIRST request and receive the consent of the Rankin County Board of Supervisors before initiating an annexation ordinance. Hence the reason for the county being involved in the resolution of the current annexation battle.

I suppose the main point is that it's not contiguous to existing city limits. It's easy to see how that could lead to issues.

Don't know about Mississippi laws, but lots of places, at least in Alabama, have city limits in multiple counties but the boundaries are all contiguous. Birmingham is in Jefferson and Shelby Counties; Huntsville is in Madison, Limestone, and Morgan Counties; Decatur is in Morgan and Limestone Counties. The new James C. Clemens High School in Madison city (AL) is entirely in Limestone County and Madison is in both Madison and Limestone Counties. Huntsville has plans for a new high school in Limestone County. The Huntsville airport has plans to extend into Limestone County in its master plan. I don't know of any major conflicts that have come up because of county lines.

 

[patdog]

I suppose the main point is that it's not contiguous to existing city limits. It's easy to see how that could lead to issues.

Don't know about Mississippi laws, but lots of places, at least in Alabama, have city limits in multiple counties but the boundaries are all contiguous. Birmingham is in Jefferson and Shelby Counties; Huntsville is in Madison, Limestone, and Morgan Counties; Decatur is in Morgan and Limestone Counties. The new James C. Clemens High School in Madison city (AL) is entirely in Limestone County and Madison is in both Madison and Limestone Counties. Huntsville has plans for a new high school in Limestone County. The Huntsville airport has plans to extend into Limestone County in its master plan. I don't know of any major conflicts that have come up because of county lines.

Jackson is actually in 3 counties. Everything south of I-220 and in Madison County is in Jackson city limits. Hattiesburg and several other small towns are also in multiple counties.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I suppose the main point is that it's not contiguous to existing city limits. It's easy to see how that could lead to issues.

Don't know about Mississippi laws, but lots of places, at least in Alabama, have city limits in multiple counties but the boundaries are all contiguous. Birmingham is in Jefferson and Shelby Counties; Huntsville is in Madison, Limestone, and Morgan Counties; Decatur is in Morgan and Limestone Counties. The new James C. Clemens High School in Madison city (AL) is entirely in Limestone County and Madison is in both Madison and Limestone Counties. Huntsville has plans for a new high school in Limestone County. The Huntsville airport has plans to extend into Limestone County in its master plan. I don't know of any major conflicts that have come up because of county lines.

Tuscaloosa owns like a 1’ piece of land from the city proper up the interstate and around the Mercedes plant. All kinds of weird shlt like that out there.

Can’t remember if it’s a case of ownership or just annexation.

 

[RocketDawg]

Tuscaloosa owns like a 1’ piece of land from the city proper up the interstate and around the Mercedes plant. All kinds of weird shlt like that out there.

Can’t remember if it’s a case of ownership or just annexation.

That's not surprising. Tax revenue speaks.