Audit finds little misspending of JWA funds

Deirdre Newman

JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT -- County supervisors misspent a minuscule portion

of John Wayne airport revenue on improper, non-aviation uses at the

former El Toro Marine Base, according to an internal audit released

Friday.

The report shows that county officials only misappropriated $222,348

-- or 0.57% -- of total non-aeronautical airport revenue from July 1997

through the end of June 2000. Initial estimates suggested the misspent

would be below $400,000.

The audit recommends these funds be reclassified, at no extra cost to

the county.

The Board of Supervisors initiated the audit in May 2000 to find out

if funds generated by John Wayne were being improperly used at El Toro.

The director of the Internal Audit Department, Peter Hughes,

exonerated county officials at John Wayne, the County Executive Office

and the El Toro Master Development Program from any fault, claiming that

they “exhibited awareness, knowledge and insight in the importance of

keeping aviation and non-aviation expenditures separated.”

Calls for comment to Supervisors Jim Silva and Todd Spitzer, who

pressed hard for the audit in 2000, were not returned.

Revenue from John Wayne was only supposed to be used for planning an

airport at El Toro. But the audit found that funds were employed for

services like a golf course consultant, administrative support and public

relations for non-aviation issues.

Voters this week approved Measure W, which rezones El Toro as a park

instead of for airport use. The vote could signal the end to hopes for an

airport at the closed Marine base, as could news that the Navy plans to

sell the base off in pieces.

The audit also recommends the John Wayne funding source be credited

with the amount of the reclassified payments, along with the associated

interest.

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .