Committee advises: Don't buy airport

WANTAGE — A citizen’s advisory committee has advised Wantage Township against purchasing Sussex Airport, citing strict regulatory restrictions and potential burdens to township taxpayers. After evaluating a consulting report prepared for the township by Ronald Price of QED Airport and Aviation Consultants of Amelia Island, Fla., the six-person committee sent its recommendation to the three-person Wantage Township Committee in a letter dated Nov. 4. The letter, which is posted on the Wantage Township municipal Web site (wantagetwp.com), points to a potential tax burden to Wantage Township taxpayers “that is too extreme to overcome.” The group also cites some of the risks the town might face if it doesn’t buy the airport, which has been owned by Paul Styger since 1951. The “worst case scenario” cited by the committee would be that no private owners step up to buy the airport and the 96-acre property deteriorates further. Needs improvement Because Styger had received grants from the Federal Aviation Administration to improve the airport in recent years, the property must be retained as an airport for at least 20 years. In May, Styger pled guilty to embezzling $387,000 in federal grant money that was supposed to be used to renovate the airport. Styger faces a maximum prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing has been pushed back to December. Tom Madsen, one of the members of the citizens advisory committee, said one of the “major” reasons the group decided to urge Wantage Township against the purchase is that “the federal and state governments make it very difficult for a municipal entity to operate an airport” due to strict regulatory restrictions. He said the best scenario would be for a private organization to purchase the airport so that the township can retain the tax ratable “and then put the necessary money into the infrastructure” to repair crumbling runways and other areas in need of repair. The airport, says Madsen, “has a lot of potential.” “I think (Wantage) taxpayers would’ve ended up footing the bill” to run the airport, said Sussex County Freeholder and Wantage Township resident Hal Wirths, who also served on the citizens committee. When reached by phone at Sussex Airport, Styger said he has received some recent inquiries from private investors about purchasing the airport. He declined to speculate on the likelihood that any offers will materialize or on the depth of the discussions to date. The Wantage Township Committee is expected to discuss the group’s recommendation and possibly make its own decision on the airport at its Nov. 12 meeting.