By: Diane Benjamin
Taxation without representation: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-02-13/cira-cruises-along-at-a-stable-altitude
Springfield allowed CIRA to tax the County thanks to Sen Dave Koehler https://blnnews.com/2023/04/27/cira-doesnt-need-money-they-just-want-it/
Your property tax bills this year will reflect that. County property owners get yet another line item added to their bill. Bloomington-Normal gets a decrease. One of the dumbest parts of the WGLT article:
“The Airport Authority has lowered the tax rate every year for the last three or four years by double digits, while at the same time not creating a levy that uses the maximum EAV allowed in the community,” said Olson.
DUH! When the assessed value of properties increases dramatically, like they have for years, the rate had better go down!
February 26, 2026 – 5 flights departing the Central Illinois Regional Airport: https://cira.com/flights/departures/
Same day – arrivals show 8 flights: https://cira.com/flights/arrivals/
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Update: A reader just sent me this link showing lot more flights: https://cira.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/March-2026-Flight-Guide-2.pdf
For comparison, Peoria shows 17 arrivals and 13 departures: https://www.flypia.com/airport/flights/?type=Departures&city=
Quote from their website under history: PIA began with less than 200 acres and now owns and maintains more than 3,500 acres, yet only employs 26 full-time staff.
I don’t know if that number is accurate. I’ve found many websites aren’t regularly updated
I don’t know how much the director of the Peoria airport, Gene Olson, earns. I can’t find any story except this one from 2009 when he was named director: https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/2009/05/18/ex-peorian-to-return-as/42447660007/
Olson will receive a base salary of $110,000 annually as well as $5,000 in moving expenses and a six-month living allowance of $750 per month.
If Peoria media wants a story, find out what he gets paid now.
I don’t know how much the CIRA director, Carl Olson, made in 2009 but I do know how much he is making at our much smaller airport because his contract was just extended:
$231,727.89
Olson also gets a free car:
Both directors have the last name Olson, I don’t know of any connections between them but I didn’t look. Readers?
The employees list I received by FOIA shows 39 employees. Since many of them are listed by pay rate, I have no way of knowing if they are full time. Appointed commissioners, not included in the 39, also get paid for (usually) meeting once a month. Most local commissioners at other units of government are unpaid volunteers.
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This story is background for why I filed a FOIA in the first place. Stay tuned.
Speaking of same names, what ever happened with the Benjamin involved in the BN water department story?
What story? I don’t remember one
Have you ever looked at Koehler’s district map? I wonder who all in B/N paid him off to make the county land owners pay for CIRA? Talk about taxation without representation this would be a model of such.
In my opinion the users of the airport should fund it and not property owners. Another socialist program to take money from you and they decide where it should go. Likely another Democrat collective with a huge slush fund. If they can’t earn a profit without property tax funding to stay open close it.