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“STEWARD OF TAXPAYERS,” GEAUGA’S DVORAK PLEDGES $800,000 GIFT FOR NEW HANGAR” WITH VAGUE ORAL ASSURANCES OF $3800 PER MONTH AND $50,000 PER YEAR FOR MIDDLEFIELD AIRPORT

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

In a thirteen item agenda where testimony from selected representatives of the “Airport Authority and self-proclaimed businessman/industrialist Charles Kochy, alter ego owner of the former Airwolf Filter Company of Burton and its apparent successor company, Airwolf Aerospace, LLC, provided testimony about their own experiences at Middlefield Airport that took the largest portion of the meeting and appeared to harshly criticize the Geauga County Board of Commissioners for “defunding” the individual airport aficionados, who also have aircraft of some kind, whether it be a helicopter, a propellor jet, a glider, or some flying apparatus currently under repair.

When the emotional presentations were done, Airport Director Ric Blamer, successor since about 2018 to current Lake County Airport Director Patty Fulop, insisted that all the pre-application forms necessary for submission of $1.33 million from the Geauga Commissions had been correctly sent by e-mail. Both Commissioners Dvorak and Spidalieri claimed to have received the prerequisite forms from Blamer, though Mr. Spidalieri could not distinguish whether he had received said forms during a public meeting or by some other means directly from Mr. Blamer.

Nevertheless, though their testimony was contested by Mr. Blamer, who consistently also interrupted to emphasize that the necessary paperwork had been sent to the BOCC, there were three separate, very clear statements denying direct receipt of the apparently critical paperwork from Commissioner Clerk Christine Blair, Acting County Administrator Linda Burhenne, and County Commissioner Carolyn Brakey. Commissioner Brakey was elected by Geauga voters in the November 2024 election and took office in January 2025, replacing lame duck Timothy Lennon, a veteran of eight years of service, Each one of the women cited separately stated that she had never directly received the so-called pre-application forms. Mr. Blamer, in spite of clearly understanding, how the so-called ball had been dropped, repeated twice, “If we don’t get money by the end of the month (April 30) we lose [$600,000 federal funds.].

About this point in time, Commissioner Dvorak admitted his apparent feelings of guilt.” I don’t want you to walk away from $586,000 [grant money] from the federal government.” Dvorak insisted, “I have thought about this long and hard. . . It’s not for $1.33 million. It’s a compromise to capture the $586,000 from the federal government. . .With this $800,000 from the federal government, you’ll have enough” to build the new T-hangar , to complete needed repairs, and to create a profit because of “$3800 rental income per month” in that new construction and $50,000 per year for improvements

Dvorak provided his rationale: “ I look at myself as a steward to our taxpayers.”

Commissioner Brakey, who weeks before had expressed her concerns that the financial needs of taxpayers struggling to pay their bills in the current economic climate, asked an important question when Dvorak made his motion for the gift to the airport to be ready for approval at the April 8 Commissioner meeting. That motion passed 2-1 with Commissioner Brakey voting no. “Are you suggesting,” she asked Dvorak, “ there is no [written contractual] agreement behind this?”

With the current acknowledged lack of required receipt from three of the five members of the Board of Commissioners behind the big desk in Suite 350 on 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Mrs. Brakey’s spoken concerns based on “vague assurances of profitability” are not frivolous. “In the current hangar, you are losing $2000 per year. . . These are your own documents. You are losing money [a negative cash flow], and you want to build a new hangar.”

The next Commissioner meeting promises to unlock new information. Watch for the complete video presentation with closed caption right here.