controversy surrounds the town of Biddeford, ME, as citizens decide if they should shut down the local airport.
This decision will be made during the general election on June 4.
Several town members say that they support the move to close the airport becuase it has failed to make enough money to support itself.
"The money is the biggest thing," said Roland Pelletier who has lived next to the airport for the past 25 years. "If it was self-supporting, fine. Let it go on." Pelletier said that people could not support businesses that do not bring in enough money to pay for themselves. He said that the economy was a factor in his opinion that the airport should be shut down.
"These are tough times," he said, "and that's the time we need to be tough."
Paul Archembault also thinks the airport should be shut down. Archembault, who has lived near the airport for the past 24 years, is the chairman of the group "Get Rid Of Our Little Airport," or "GROOLA."
"Once we started looking at the airport, we came to the conclusion that there is no financial benefit at its existing size and capacity," Archambault said. "It continues to be a tax burden."
Phyllis Landry, a private pilot, thinks that the citizens of Biddeford should vote to keep their airport.
"I've been flying out of this airport for 25 years," he said. "I love this airport. If I couldn't fly out of here I'd have to go to Sanford or Portland."
Landry says that the airport is worth the cost that keeps it running.
"Maybe it's expensice to run the airport," he said. "But it's a great resource. I know business people who fly in here all the time."
John Bubier, the Biddeford city manager, said that the airport annual takes in about $56,000. Records from his office show that the airport has cost more than that to run in the past two years. The airport costs have been $47,000; $72,000; and $60,000 respectively for the years 2006, 2007, and 2008.
Bubier says that the city is not taking a position on the issue of whether or not the airport should be closed. Instead, they are leaving it up to the citizens to decide.