At it Again
In a nakedly transparent effort to save her $152,500.00 position as Director of the Great Falls International Airport, Cynthia Schultz elected to publicly accuse the Board of acting in a way that she terms “dysfunctional,” and ineffective. (Personally, I know that if I ever plan to fire an employee, a good strategy for that employee, if he or she wished to retain the job, would be to insult me in front of as many people as possible.)
Schultz also publicly accused at least two Airport Authority members of a conflict of interest. Of course, it’s a complete coincidence that the two members she believes are acting improperly just happen to be the two members who publicly opposed her efforts to ram a Confidentiality Agreement down the Board’s throat. (Commissioner Ed Buttrey, who happened to support Schultz on the Confidentiality Agreement, was spared the public wrath, even though his company does or did business with AvMax, a big tenant of the Airport.)
Regardless of the possible motivation(s) for the public assault, though, the charges have been made. The rules governing Airport Authority Commissioners are quite clear and detailed, and you can read them for yourself. Essentially, Schultz alleges that Mangan’s venture did business with the County at the same time the County was involved in a dispute with the Airport Authority over the seating of Dan Johannes, the County’s nominee. (You will recall that the Board voted not to seat Johannes. I believe I was the sole dissenting vote. I think Mangan voted with the majority of the Board against the County.) Schultz seems to be alleging Mangan violated section 2(e) of MCA 2-2-121, providing that it is improper for a Board member to “perform an official act directly and substantially affecting to its economic benefit a business or other undertaking in which the officer or employee either has a substantial financial interest or is engaged as counsel, consultant, representative, or agent.”
Schultz certainly has an uphill battle proving that Mangan’s vote against seating Johannes substantially affected his business to its economic benefit. See, he voted against the County. Hmmm.
Then, as far as Humble, she says she never voted on the measures where her company was implicated. Where, then, is the “official act?”
These things will play out over time. Aside from whether they helped Ms. Schultz retain her position, she had better hope they are true. If I represented Humble or Mangan, I would be looking very hard at Part 8, Chapter 1 of Title 27 of the Montana Code. My guess is that, at $150k a year, there’s something to recover on the other end.
Perhaps more to the point, though, is my strong belief and recollection that the Airport Authority adopted, largely at Ms. Schultz’s insistence, a “Conflict of Interest Policy.” As I recall the policy, it does not contain language suggesting that potential conflicts of interest be leveled years after the fact at public meetings. As I recall the policy, it requires an initial step of counseling and then some sort of formal Board action in the event the initial counseling fails. I will attempt to obtain an up to date copy of the Policy today.
This looks to be quite a donnybrook. We’ll all stay tuned.
I am so sick of the inbreds playing monolopy games in this city.
They chimp scream about economic development in this town and then run off the people who actually create it.
Judd, I assume you’re supporting Schultz on this. Do you have any comment on the conflict of interest allegations?
I don’t think that one has to support or oppose Ms. Schultz in order to suggest that adopted procedures should be followed, do you? Also, remember that Mangan and Humble are also involved in “economic development,” since both run private businesses that employee many of our neighbors.
I hear rumors that there may be a current or former county or city commissioner who may be interested in the job. These are just rumors, but they do add a fly into the ointment.
“…there may be a current or former county or city commissioner who may be interested in the job.”
Nothing like a set up. Get rid of the Director who brought AVMAX and FEDEX here as well as increased revenue and put one of your cronies in. Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah.
The “Director who brought AVMAX and FEDEX here.”
Dig a little deeper, Judd. Try to get both sides of the story.
I do have to agree with you on one point, though. I certainly cannot think of any former City or County Commissioner who would be even halfway qualified to run the Airport, and not a tenth as qualified as Ms. Schultz. I don’t think I have ever suggested that she is not capable of doing the substantive work.
Aaron,
The rumors in this town never cease to amaze me. Last Saturday night, I was told by a friend that they heard I was interested in the position. If that is the rumor you heard as well, let me end it. I enjoy being a County Commissioner and am running for a 2nd term.
I have neither any interest in the position nor an appropriate background for such a job.
I read in the paper that there is a possibility of the Guard losing the F 15’s. If they aren’t replaced there would be no need for the Air Guard Fire Department that the Airport Authority pays $1.00 a year for. The Airport Authority does own a fire truck but it isnt a crash truck and I doubt that it meets NFPA standards.
Maybe the next Director will have to figure out how to build an FAA approved fire department from the ground up. It will take a few bake sales to raise 10 million dollars.
Judd, how ’bout you respond to my inquiries?
AIP grants fund airport fire fighting equipment, not bake sales.
Jo Briggs, Good luck on this as I believe your absolute support for the HGS and the consequent screwing of a lot of our local farmers and ranchers has ended your reign. Don’t waste your money and time! Our memories are not that short, just ask your ole buddy Lance…..