Members of the sometimes contentious Gainesville-Alachua County Regional Airport Authority on Wednesday weighed in on what the future shape of authority ought to be.

Authority members made their individual cases to a four-member Airport Task Force appointed by city and county commissioners in the wake of continuing complaints about perceived problems with the nine-member airport governing body.

The Task Force has been asked to make recommendations on the authority's effectiveness. Five authority members are appointed by the city, three by the governor and one by the county.

There was no consensus on how or whether the authority should be changed.

Authority member Pat Bainter said the nine-member airport governing body may be too large to be effective.

"I have seen at times that we as a group have had a fairly difficult time functioning, and I think that is largely because of the size of the body that we are, not necessarily where we are coming from," Bainter said.

But Bainter said he had no particular recommendation on a specific governing structure except "that it should be not easily - what's the term, I'm trying to be diplomatic here? - not easily dominated by one group vs. another."

Authority member W.E. "Mac" McEachern said members of the authority should be elected.

"A good reason is that if people have conflicts of interest, this would be brought out during the campaign," McEachern said.

"They would have to answer to the public, like any other elected official," he said. "Of course, there are a number of good ways to govern the airport, but I think this is probably the best way."

Not so, said authority member Robert Todd.

"An elected body in my opinion would make it more political than it is," Todd said.

"Even though we are subject to much criticism and scrutiny of late, I think we've done a pretty good job," he said. "I would hope the board would continue with business as usual."

Authority Chairwoman Marilyn Tubb also defended the board's appointed status, adding that voters in Sarasota and Manatee counties have just decided to eliminate their airport's elected governing body in favor of an appointed one. But she suggested the authority might benefit by forming a citizens' advisory panel.

Task Force members agreed to take those and other suggestions under consideration.

The panel will hold three more sessions before making its recommendations. At its next session - to be held at 6 p.m. on Dec. 5 in City Hall - it the panel will listen to comments from the public.

Task Force members appointed by the city are City Commissioner Chuck Chestnut IV and Mayor Paula DeLaney.

Members appointed by the county are former airport authority member Jon Morris and and current authority member James Gallagher.

That meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Dec. 5 in City Hall.

Ray Washington can be reached at 374-5026 or washinr@gvillesun.com.

See November 16, 2000, issue of Gainesville Sun for original article.