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CEO Priester left out of $4.6 million Chicago Executive Airport budget

Following the lead of their counterparts in Wheeling, Prospect Heights aldermen on Monday unanimously approved the Chicago Executive Airport's $4.6 million budget for 2016 without funding to retain CEO Charlie Priester.

Priester, who was hired in July 2014 and given the CEO title to aid him in negotiating with state and federal officials, was set to earn $6,000 a month, with possible bonus payments bringing his total compensation up to $100,000, under previous versions of the budget.

Instead, Priester is in negotiations with Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, a consulting firm that released a "Visioning Report" for the airport this month, to serve as a possible subcontractor on airport matters, said CEA Board Chairman Robert McKenzie.

Residents in Wheeling expressed concern over Priester helping the airport create a master plan, saying he has a conflict of interest because his family owned the airport for 33 years before it was bought by Wheeling and Prospect Heights and still maintains business operations there.

"It's been a long road to get here and I don't like the process of how it happened or the road we went down," Fourth Ward Alderman Pat Ludvigsen said. "It's just a weird situation."

Second Ward Alderman Larry Rosenthal said the airport should be able to find other experts to assist its operations.

"I don't know the man, but it seems to me when I read about it that there was a direct conflict of interest," he said.

The budget reallocates $20,000 of the money first intended for Priester to examine implementation of a noise monitoring system. More than 30 monitors measure noise at O'Hare International Airport, but Chicago Executive Airport has none.

Rosenthal is taking further steps in that direction. He, along with Wheeling Trustee Ray Lang, attended the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission meeting June 9, and said Prospect Heights should seek an "observer status" on the commission to learn possible strategies they could use at Chicago Executive Airport.

He said Lang, who also serves as a member of the airport's board, plans to ask the airport to seek similar status.

Rosenthal recommended creating a similar commission for CEA, comprised of officials from Prospect Heights and Wheeling, airport board members and citizens, to address noise issues.

The airport's 2016 budget includes $175,000 for Crawford, Murphy & Tilly to conduct a Phase II of their ongoing study on how the two municipalities can best utilize the airport. Similar amounts likely will be necessary in the 2017 and 2018 budgets.

The airport's operating income is expected to increase by $196,612, due to rent credits expiring and fuel prices increasing. Revenues have increased by 5.6 percent from 2015.

Wheeling village trustees approved the airport's budget last week.

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Charlie Priester
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