Some local pilots think that residents should be asked to chip in for the day-to-day operations at the village-owned .
Mike Carzoli, president and owner of located at the Lake in the Hills Airport, suggested the airport is a boon to the local economy and the village should consider a property-tax levy so the owners of airplanes do not bear all the financial burden of running the place.
A group of pilots asked village board trustees at Tuesday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting to meet with them and discuss the matter.
Mark Zakula of Algonquin owns a hangar at the airport, pays a $187 ground lease and was disturbed by the $23 fee tacked onto his January bill.
“Nowhere in the lease is the village allowed to randomly, without my consent, add additional fees at their discretion,” Zakula wrote in a letter to airport manager Manny Gomez.
Carzoli suggested the fee increase would mean more empty hangars at the airport.
Gomez said there are 11 empty T-hangars at the airport, which rent for $368 a month, and some space is available to rent in the larger hangars at the airport.
Trustees Denise Barreto and Russ Ruzanski said they were willing to meet with the pilots and discuss their situation.
But Gerald Sagona, village administrator, produced a list of municipally owned airports in Illinois, including Chicago-Executive Airport on Milwaukee Avenue and Schaumburg Regional Airport, which do not levy a property tax for airport operations.
Sagona added the only way for a pilot to get rid of the new electricity tax — which was approved last summer by the village board — would be to install a meter in the hangar and pay for the utility directly or use solar power.
“They use a lot of power for space heaters and compressors not to mention lights,” he said. “Somebody’s got to pay for it.”
Last year, the operating budget at the airport was $288,000. Money generated through leases and the sale of fuel is used to pay for day-to-day operations.
What would the villages response be to an apartment owner tat suddenly added a $23 per month fee to a tenants lease. The landlord would be fined and/or sued for pulling something like that. Same here. I'm not a pilot or a LITH resident, but the rest of the village should not be taxed to pay for the airport operations. The current scheme of paying with user fees is correct. We pay for roads the same way, in the taxes on gas, tires, etc.
The hangar owners pay property taxes on their hangars which go to the schools, fire, police etc. should we not pay for those since some of us don't live in LITH? Also how many people pay taxes for the parks and don't use them? The airport is a vital part of the community. When the area gets sprayed for Mosquitos, where do you think the helicopters operate out of. When people fly in to visit or do business where do you think they stay or eat? The airport generates about 19 Million in economic activity to the area. If there is a natural disaster where do you think the relief supplies or personnel will fly into? How about flying the injured out of the area. I would say that the airport does much more for the community than any park but people don't seem to mind paying for that. We as pilots are not trying to get out of paying for anything it's just we can't be burdened for the total cost as it benefits many others whether you know it or not. Mark
let's get a candidate for the board who will seek the re-development of the airport. this issue...and the economy offers little hope...to hard working home owners around here. property values are down...and taxes...going up? if that place doesn't turn a profit...close it...NO subsidies! helicopters?