New York: Onondaga County Legislature - No money for Air-1 chopper, Syracuse Philharmonic.

Photo Credit:  Stephen D. Cannerelli / The Post-Standard

Onondaga County Legislature James Corbett (foreground), R-Camillus, gathers inform´ation as the Legislature works on a series of amendments to the proposed 2012 county budget Tuesday. After voting on about 60 amendments, legislators approved the spending plan.

No money for Air-1
Sheriff Kevin Walsh said he plans to keep Air-1 flying with money he hopes to raise through fundraising and by charging fees for medical transports.

His office recently formed a nonprofit fundraising corporation to accept grants and contributions for the helicopter and has applied to the Federal Aviation Administration for a commercial operator’s license, which would allow him to charge for the medevacs. He also is trying to sell naming rights to the helicopter.

But it won’t be easy to keep the helicopter flying. Walsh needs about $600,000 a year to operate it. He estimated before Tuesday’s vote that he will be able to raise about $200,000 in grants, contributions and fees next year. He said afterward that the lack of any county funding for the helicopter will make it even harder for him to obtain grants and sell naming rights.

“We will continue to fly, but it’s going to be extremely difficult,” said Walsh.

How Walsh would make up a funding shortage remains to be seen. But he could come back to the Legislature for a special appropriation next year, when there will be several new members. Among the lawmakers who will not be seeking re-election next month is Rhinehart, who led the effort to kill taxpayer funding for Air-1.

Walsh was facing an uphill battle to save Air-1 even before the Legislature’s vote. Mahoney’s budget included no money for pilots’ salaries. She has said she expects him to raise the nearly $400,000 for pilots’ salaries and benefits through his fundraising efforts.

The sheriff said Air-1 provides valuable law enforcement and public safety services, in addition to transporting seriously injured accident victims. But Rhinehart said the helicopter is an expensive tool the county can no longer afford. He said many of the medevacs it performs are in surrounding counties, which pay nothing for the service. And he said private medical helicopter services can provide the same service at no cost to taxpayers.

The cut was not the only one the sheriff’s office took Tuesday. Lawmakers also eliminated $291,000 for overtime costs and $120,000 to purchase five new patrol cars.

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