East Central Reporter

The Appellate Court has ruled against the Village of Chatham in its attempt to appoint a commissioner to the Springfield Airport Authority board. The court's decision comes after a lawsuit filed by Chatham's attorney, which sought to increase the board by one member to allow for village representation.

Chatham, located in Sangamon County, is only partially within the boundaries of the Springfield Airport Authority. According to the Airport Authorities Act, for a village to have representation on an airport board, it must be "wholly" within the authority's boundaries and have at least 5,000 residents.

The village interpreted this requirement differently, focusing solely on having 5,000 residents within the authority and disregarding the need for the entire village to be within those boundaries. This led to a legal challenge where a circuit judge initially sided with Chatham. However, upon appeal from the Airport Authority, this decision was overturned by the Appellate Court.

The court reversed the circuit court's ruling and instructed it to enter judgment in favor of the Springfield Airport Authority as a matter of law. The outcome highlights concerns over public funds spent on what some see as an unnecessary legal battle. There are calls for the airport authority to seek reimbursement for attorney fees incurred during this process.