WALL TOWNSHIP – Call it another front in the Battle of Monmouth Airport.

Before Monmouth County possibly moves to condemn the airport through eminent domain, how about coming to look at it?

That’s the appeal of Alan Antaki, the president of Wall Herald Corporation, which owns the airport.

Antaki recently sent letters to the two candidates running for Monmouth County Commissioner – incumbent Republican Susan Kiley and Democratic challenger Danielle Mastropiero. His appeal was rather straightforward:

“I will give you a tour of the airport and answer any questions you have about how the airport operates and the investments I have made in the business. I want you to be properly and fully informed about the airport’s operations…. Election Day is rapidly approaching and I believe it is in the voters’ best interest to have candidates who are properly informed about the airport.”

A spokesman for the airport said Mastropiero quickly accepted the invite, while Kiley’s response is unknown at the moment.

This may sound simple – a businessman inviting two local candidates to get acquainted with an important county business.

But it’s not.

The politics swirling around here is pretty interesting and Antaki is plunging right into it.

A month or so ago, the Monmouth County Commissioners sent out a release about the hiring of a consultant “to perform a comprehensive business feasibility analysis of the Monmouth Executive Airport.”

The release quoted Thomas Arnone, the commission director, as saying “no decisions have been made” about the county’s overall plans for the airport.

However, it also stated that:

“Representatives from the county have heard disturbing reports from a variety of sources about the condition of the airport and its supporting facilities. I recently toured the airport and came away with my own, serious concerns, both about safety at the airport and its financial viability. We are hiring Merchant Aviation to determine if the airport could be better run and maintained under county ownership.”

Antaki has no doubts about what this means: the county commissioners want to take the airport through condemnation. And he is determined to stop them

“The county had been secretly working on condemning my business and my property for many months, if not years,” said Antaki in a statement.

By inviting both candidates for a tour, Antaki quite obviously wants to keep this issue front and center.

There’s more.

Antaki recently filed a federal suit against the county and various county offices, including the sheriff and the park rangers, alleging a violation of his freedom of speech rights.

This stems from the Monmouth County annual fair back in July at which airport employees began distributing leaflets in opposition to any county takeover.

The suit says county officials interfered and eventually stopped the unfettered distribution.

The election is two weeks away, but as you can see, this battle figures to go on longer than that.

Editor’s Note: the following is a statement in response from a Monmouth County Spokesperson:

Touring The Property:

In response to numerous reports, Monmouth County Commissioner Director Tom Arnone toured the airport this summer with several County officials and found the lack of security at access points as well as the dilapidated conditions of surrounding buildings very concerning. This tour, in conjunction with long standing complaints about the condition of the runway, have motivated the County’s investigation into the airport – both from a financial and safety perspective.

Meeting Request

Since that tour, the County has formally requested a meeting with the owner to discuss the condition of the airport and its future. That request has been rejected.

Transparency

From the beginning, the County has shared with the public its questions, concerns, and its process to determine the future of the airport. The County has enlisted the services of an internationally renowned aviation consultant, Merchant Aviation, to assess the condition of the airport and its viability. If the owner’s claims about the airport are to be believed, he should welcome the insight and experience Merchant brings to the table as they conduct their investigation.

Pro-Business

The County has a long history of pro-business initiatives, like its economic development outreach, tourism campaigns and shared services activities. In addition to its pro-business policies, the County is also acutely aware of when a business would be better run privately, for example – County care centers, management of the County reclamation center, and the operation of the County’s moveable bridges have all been privatized by the Board of Commissioners.

Lawsuit

The lawsuit filed by the owner related to the County Fair is nothing more than a PR stunt given the County’s long-standing policies regarding the dissemination of materials at all County parks. Unless an individual or group has paid to have a booth during the Fair, dissemination is prohibited inside the Fairgrounds. The current rules and regulations have been in place since April of 2000 and are posted clearly on the Monmouth County Park System website.