NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WVEC) -- The Peninsula Airport Commission (PAC) voted to fire Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport's executive director Monday.
The commission let Ken Spirito go for cause.
Spirito had been on paid leave since March.
With regard to Spirito's dismissal, commission chairman George Wallace told 13News Now the commission "thought the action was necessary but it was not one that we relished."
In a letter sent to Spirito, the commission outlined several reasons for his dismissal. Those reasons included instances in which Spirito used PAC money to pay for damages related to collisions involving his personal car twice and a third incident that involved the personal car of another airport employee.
The letter to Spirito also states:
You authorized each member of the PAC executive staff to charge up to $2,400/year in gasoline directly to their PAC credit card, with no requirement that it be tied to business travel. You directed your accounting department not to treat it as taxable income. You justified your authority to do this because you have control ofthe "fuel expense" operating account. These payments actually are compensat¡on to each employee receiving the free gas, not fuel expense. Accordingly, you have hidden employee compensation in the fuel expense account, also exposing these employees and the PAC to back taxes, additional filing obligations, and possible interest and penalties.
None of the reasons given was related to other recent issues at the airport that came to light.
The Peninsula Airport Commission (made up of different members at the time) previously used millions of dollars to pay off a bank loan for People Express Airlines. The company, which was supposed to be based at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, never launched.
In January, state officials cut off funding to the airport, and Virginia Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne ordered an audit of state funding of the airport.
Elite Airways, which was to begin service from Newport News/Williamsburg International on March 13, postponed the start of service because of "challenging perceptions" surrounding the airport.
Former city manager Jim Bourey resigned from the commission the same day that Spirito had been placed on leave in March. Bourey later resigned as city manager.
