Tensions rose at Grand Junction’s last city council meeting when former Mayor Bill Pitts asked current Mayor Sam Susuras to step down from the airport administrative board.

Pitts claim is in relation to the ongoing investigation of fraud at Grand Junction Regional Airport by the FBI.

Local activists like Anne Landman don’t think the call is enough, and she has created a petition to remove Susuras from all of his governing positions.

“There is growing public sentiment that Susuras should resign because he seems unable to grasp the importance of the fraud charges at the airport,” Landman explains.

The fraud in question resulted from construction plans for the airport and almost $6 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to aid with expansion. Originally the request described a building with gates and baggage claim areas to be classified as a Terminal Building. After the request was submitted, the description changed to an administrative building, which the FAA doesn’t provide as much funding to as terminals. The request was submitted and drafted by Rex Tippet, Airport Operations Manager, who has subsequently been voted off the council.

“I believe that [Tippets] thought himself creative by describing it in certain ways to get funding, knowing very well that describing it others would not,” said Gregg Palmer, a former Mayor of Grand Junction who served on the airport board for two years.

In many of these funding requests to the FAA, the wording and classification isn’t exact, so there is a substantial gray area on what gets funding. This is not uncommon at other airports, so the investigation by the FBI has raised questions about the severity of the fraud at GJ regional.

“I doubt that [Susuras] had any input in the bill writing at all,” Palmer said. “These boards typically operate where the members know that we want to build a building for this purpose. It’s rare that each member will see the grant application and know the characteristics of each building.”

Up to this point, none of the federal money has been used on the ongoing construction that as a whole could cost over $60 million.

“[Susuras] has always been reasonable, deliberate, and he absolutely cares about this community and wants to do what’s right,” Palmer said. “A lot of people have different views on what is right, but that’s just the nature of representative government.”

Regardless, Landman is optimistic the petition will send the right message.

“Susuras seems out of touch with the populace,” Landman said. “At a minimum, it can demonstrate that a lot of people are dissatisfied with his leadership.”

brjthomp@mavs.coloradomesa.edu