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<br />resorted to the Court in efforts to delay and restrict the expansion of that
<br />facility, we submit to you that instead of providing a public airport primarily
<br />for the use ~and benefit of citizens of Cabarrus County~ the Authority now
<br />seeks to obtain an airport in Cabarrus County to relieve the congested
<br />conditions at Douglas and to provide a playground for those who are rich
<br />enough to own an airplane as a hobby, at the expense of the taxpayers of Cabarrus
<br />County.
<br /> The Authority notes as its second consideration the fact that Federal
<br />participation of 90% will be lowered to 80% in September, 1978. This is the
<br />same old story. Everybody thinks that the Federal Government is a "Santa Claus"
<br />and that this money is available without consequences to the poor taxpayer, but
<br />in the final analysis, every dollar which comes either directly or indirectly
<br />from the Federal, State or local government comes out of some taxpayer's
<br />pocket.
<br /> The most ludicrous section of the Authority's report relates to financial
<br />justification. You will note at the top of page 10 of the report and also in
<br />appendix no. 6 that the Authority obtained a breakdown of the revenue collected
<br />in 1976 by the Rowan County Airport, but at no place in this report or in
<br />either 6f the Appendices, does the Authority set forth how much it costs the
<br />taxpayers of Rowan County to maintain and operate their airport. The Authority
<br />also would lead you to believe that if there had been an airport in Cabarrus
<br />CountY in 1976, it would have likewise received $1,200 as fixed base operation
<br />rent, $300 from the sale of gasoline, $800 for hanger rent, and $12,941 from
<br />ad valorem tax on 57 airplanes valued'at $2,121,495. This would be an average
<br />of $37,219.21 for the 57 phantom airplanes. Where does the Authority propose
<br />to obtain these 57 airplanes. We submit to you that those who now own airplanes
<br />stationed in Mecklenburg County or elsewhere will never remove them to Cabarrus
<br />County unless they will receive some tax or other financial advantage by so
<br />doing. If there are a large number of citizens in Cabarrus County who own
<br />planes of the size and character considered by the Authority, which planes are
<br />now stationed at airports outside of Cabarrus County, such a contention may have
<br />some merit. The Authority, however, goes even farther and states that if
<br />Cabarrus County had had an airport in 1977, it would receive the same amount of
<br />money for operation, rent, gasoline and hanger rent, and would have received
<br />$18,300 or $3,900 more than Rowan County for ad valorem taxes on 87 phantom
<br />airplanes valued at $3,000,000. These 87 airplanes Would only average $34,482.75
<br />each, or $2,736.46 less per plane than the 57 phantom planes in 1976. Just
<br />why these airplanes depreciated so much in value in the short period of one
<br />year is hard to reconcile.
<br /> Again we ask, where are these 87 airplanes coming from? The Authority has
<br /> not provided you with a list of even one-half dozen owners who would commit
<br /> themselves to house or station an airplane in Cabarrus County. The Authority
<br /> would have you believe that industry has been stymied for lack of airport
<br /> facilities in Cabarrus County. There is only one business in Cabarrus County
<br /> which owns an airplane of any size, and this particular business has its own
<br /> airstrip.
<br /> On the other hand, the situation in Rowan County is quite different. There
<br /> are 10 or more businesses in Rowan County which own aircraft:
<br />
<br /> Business
<br />Carolina Tractor
<br />Brad Ragan, Inc.
<br />Carter Chair Co.
<br />Wagoner Const. Co.
<br />Walser Const. Co.
<br />Miller Steel
<br />Material Sales
<br />Brinkley Constl Co.
<br />Jim Bost Const. Co.
<br />Mechanical Engineers
<br />
<br />Make Value
<br />Beech K~ng Air $ 500,000.00
<br />2 MU-2 1,000,000.00
<br />Beech King Air 500,000.00
<br />Cessna 401 100,000.00
<br />Beech Baron 100,000.00
<br />Beech Baron 100,000.00
<br />Cessna 402 200,000.00
<br />Cessna 18~ 30,000.00
<br />Cherokee 30,000.00
<br />Queen Air 100,000.00
<br />
<br /> The Authority would have you believe that the Cabarrus Memorial Hospital
<br />is a regular user of general aviation at Rowan County Airport. This is news
<br />to us. We have been representing the Cabarrus Memorial Hospital for more than
<br />20 years, and if it has ever owned an airplane, we have no knowledge of the
<br />same. Now it may be true that one or more wealt~doctors, who have more money
<br />than they know what to do with, have invested in airplanes, but there are very
<br />few doctors left who make calls in automobiles, much less airplanes.
<br /> On page 11 of the report, the Authority emphasizes its contention that an
<br />investment of $105,921 by Cabarrus County would produce $23,300 or 22%
<br />investment return. This is irresponsible daydreaming. Not one place in its
<br />report.has the Authority made any provision for expenses whatsoever. How does
<br />the Authority propose to provide energy for the $75,000 worth of lighting
<br />equipment proposed in the cost analysis? How will the liability insurance
<br />necessary for such an operation be paid? How are the paved runways going to be
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