Cabell County commissioner says Airport Authority lease requires review; commission raises corporate compliance concerns

Commissioner Jim Morgan reported on an Airport Authority meeting during the Sept. 24 Cabell County Commission session and urged review of an existing lease and corporate compliance.

Morgan said Carl Bailey holds a valid lease through 2036 and has made property changes without prior commission approval. He also reported that Bailey's corporation has not filed required annual reports with the Secretary of State since 1984. "Since 1984 Mr. Bailey has failed to give Annual Reports to the Secretary of State," Morgan said. President Nancy Cartmill said she feels the corporation needs to be dissolved and the commission agreed a new lease agreement should be drawn up and staff should pursue next steps.

Why it matters: long-term leases and failure to maintain statutory corporate filings can affect property rights, public accountability and the commission's ability to enforce lease terms or to compel compliance. The commission did not vote on immediate enforcement actions at the Sept. 24 meeting but directed a review of lease terms and corporate status.

Next steps: commissioners asked staff to pursue further review and prepare options for addressing alleged noncompliance; no formal dissolution or legal action was recorded in the meeting minutes.