Oneida County has reached an agreement with an airplane repair company that hasn't paid rent for its hangar space at Griffiss International Airport for more than a year.
MidAirUSA owes Oneida County almost a million dollars, but now the county has agreed to allow MidAir to pay back only a fraction of that amount.
With legislation passed by Oneida County Monday, MidAir has to pay $250,000 to the county instead of just under one million for unpaid rent at Griffis.
Oneida County said this deal with MidAirUSA is all about a balancing act.
"Economic development in terms of jobs and an employer as well as money owed to the county that we just can’t keep carrying," said Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente.
"This company wouldn’t of had any other option, but to go bankrupt and then you have the people out of work, we still don’t get our money, so it's a bad bad situation, so this is the best of a bad situation," said Oneida County Legislator George Joseph.
MidAir's USA's financial problems stem from international strife. They rely on major business from Russian companies.
"It's unique circumstances, because their business model that depends on Russia and with all of these sanctions that have taken place," said Picente.
"He's had some issues that weren't probably all his fault," said Oneida County Legislator Frank Tallarino.
The county said that's a reason why the county is making this deal with MidAirUSA. Another main reason is for the growth of the area.
"We really didn’t want to lose the jobs. Somewhere between a hundred and forty and a hundred and fifty jobs, so that's important," said Joseph.
Now, the county said it's time to look ahead to the future of MidAirUSA in Oneida County.
"Weeing whether or not the international peace lessens it's restrictions on their cash flow and secondly whether there’s other business there that they can attract that can keep them moving forward," said Picente.
As part of the agreement, MidAir is responsible for paying the rest of the million dollars in unpaid rent in fifty thousand dollar monthly payments until paid off, and they also have a new lease agreement that will be for twenty eight thousand dollars a month a Griffis.
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