The Georgia Supreme Court affirmed the Paulding County airport’s right to issue bonds for a taxiway expansion, the latest legal decision in a fight over commercialization of the airport.
The Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport wanted to expand its taxiway to prepare for an effort to attract airline flights, but residents filed a legal challenge to the $3.4 million in bonds for the taxiway work.
An attorney for the residents had argued the county’s issuance of bonds is unconstitutional, raising concerns about secrecy, use of county funds to back the airport bonds and the airport’s deal with a private firm that will benefit from the project.
But Paulding officials argued the financing is proper and the airport expansion will benefit the county.
The Georgia Supreme Court ruled Monday that the airport expansion would allow Paulding County to reap the benefits of commercial flight service and that other agreements and approvals did not violate the law or the state constitution.
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