Franklin County Approves New Plan to Support Hart/Franklin Airport Authority

Franklin County will begin working to make changes to how they support the Hart/Franklin County Airport Authority.

At their meeting Monday, the Board of Commissioners approved the plan suggested last week by Commission Jason Macomson.

Currently, Franklin County staff helps the Airport Authority with their bookkeeping and financial records.

Monday, the Board approved Macomson’s suggestion to switch to an annual contribution.

“Right now Franklin County provides an in-kind service. We help them with their bookkeeping in regards to their financial record-keeping. Hart County gives them an annual contribution of $3,500,” he explained. “I’d like to see us switch to what Hart County does rather than provide the with an in-kind service, give them an annual contriution and let them handle their own in-house, financial record-keeping.”

Macomson told the Board last week that the current arrangement could give the impression that Franklin County has too much influence over how the airport is run.

And he says there’s another problem.

“It could create a conflict of interest between our County staff who are helping them and the Board of Commissioners,” he explained. “I would never want to put our employees put between the two different groups because they work for the County first and foremost.”

At their meeting Monday, the Board voted unanimously to move to an annual contribution.