Drive west out of Alexandria and you reach a 4,000-acre spread of runway, warehouse, golf course, and rental housing that most people call England Airpark. The entity that owns and runs it is not the city, the parish, or the airport authority in the way most people picture one. It is the England Economic and Industrial Development District, known locally as the England Authority, and it is one of the most powerful units of government in central Louisiana that voters never elect.

Here is what it is, who controls it, and what it can do.

Where it came from

England Air Force Base closed on December 15, 1992, after the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round put it on the list. The 23d Fighter Wing and its A-10s left for Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina, and central Louisiana faced the loss of its largest employer.

The Louisiana Legislature created the England Economic and Industrial Development District in 1991 to catch what the Air Force left behind. The district's job was to accept title to the base property from the federal government and convert the base into a working civilian economy. The Air Force transferred 2,447 acres to the district by 1995. Today the site includes Alexandria International Airport (AEX), more than a million square feet of occupied commercial and industrial space, the Oakwing Golf Course, and several hundred homes.

What it is, legally

The enabling statute is La. R.S. 33:130.351 et seq. The statute creates "a body politic and corporate of the state which shall exist in perpetuity." The district is a political subdivision of the state under Article VI of the Louisiana Constitution, and its territory is all of Rapides Parish.

That "political subdivision" status matters. It means the England Authority is not a private company and not a city department. It is its own unit of government, with governmental powers, run by a board that answers to the officials who appoint it rather than to voters directly.

Who controls it

The district is governed by a board of commissioners of ten members. Not one is elected by the public. Under the statute, the seats are filled this way:

  • Three appointed by the Rapides Parish Police Jury
  • Three appointed by the mayor of Alexandria and confirmed by the city council
  • One appointed by the mayor of Pineville and confirmed by the board of aldermen
  • One appointed by a majority of the remaining incorporated municipalities in Rapides Parish, based on resolutions of their boards of aldermen
  • Two nominated by the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce of Central Louisiana and appointed by resolutions of the Rapides Parish Police Jury and the Alexandria City Council

Commissioners serve four-year terms and serve without compensation. The board elects its own officers — a chairman, a vice-chairman, and a secretary-treasurer — from among its members. It hires an executive director to run day-to-day operations.

The structure is worth sitting with. A board with the power to tax and to issue public debt is assembled entirely by appointment, with the two largest blocs coming from the parish police jury and the Alexandria mayor's office. The people who hold those seats are accountable to the elected officials who put them there, and only indirectly to the public.

What it can do

The powers are broad. Under its enabling statutes, the England Authority can:

  • Own, develop, lease, and sell land and buildings across its territory, including the airport, the airpark, and residential property.
  • Issue revenue bonds and general obligation bonds, certificates of indebtedness, and anticipation notes — in other words, borrow money against public credit.
  • Levy taxes, subject to the limits in the statutes and the constitution.
  • Create sub-districts within the parish to carry out specific projects, each of which can carry its own bonding and taxing powers.
  • Expropriate property — take private property for public purposes through eminent domain, with compensation.

The district's own auditors summarize it plainly: it "has power similar to a home rule community," can "issue revenue bonds and general obligation bonds," "has the power of eminent domain and can levy taxes," and can "create sub-districts throughout the parish to accommodate economic development projects." Englandairpark

The money

The England Authority is a large operation. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, its audited financial statements report operating revenues of $13,388,723 — most of it lease revenue — and operating expenses of $21,545,166, including $7.7 million in depreciation. Its total net position was $226,370,760, the vast majority of it tied up in capital assets: land, buildings, runways, and infrastructure. The district also received $9,020,150 in federal and state capital grants that year, largely for airport projects. state + 2

Revenue comes from commercial and residential leases, airport landing and facility fees, passenger facility charges, fuel flowage fees, golf course operations at Oakwing, and grants. The independent auditor, Kolder, Slaven & Company, issued an unmodified ("clean") opinion for the year ended June 30, 2024, and reported no audit findings. state

The executive director's compensation is a public record. For the year ended June 30, 2024, the executive director received a salary of $199,500 and total compensation and benefits of $260,726. state

How to watch it

As a political subdivision, the England Authority is a "public body" under Louisiana's Open Meetings Law (La. R.S. 42:11 et seq.). It must post written notice and an agenda for its meetings at least 24 hours in advance, exclusive of weekends and holidays, and it must keep written minutes. Louisiana

Its records are public under the Louisiana Public Records Law (La. R.S. 44:1 et seq.). Any person of the age of majority can request them. The custodian is the head of the public body or a designated representative; requests can be directed to the district's office at 1611 Arnold Drive, Alexandria, LA 71303, (318) 427-6406. Shreve-lib + 2

Accountability box: The England Authority

  • What it is: The England Economic and Industrial Development District (EEIDD), a political subdivision of Louisiana that owns and operates the former England Air Force Base site — Alexandria International Airport (AEX) and England Airpark. Enabling statute: La. R.S. 33:130.351 et seq. Created by the Legislature in 1991.
  • Who serves / how many: A board of ten commissioners, plus an executive director who runs daily operations.
  • Who appoints them: All ten are appointed, not elected — three by the Rapides Parish Police Jury, three by the mayor of Alexandria (confirmed by the city council), one by the mayor of Pineville (confirmed by the aldermen), one by the parish's remaining municipalities, and two nominated by the Chamber of Commerce of Central Louisiana and appointed by the Police Jury and Alexandria City Council.
  • Term length: Four years; commissioners serve without pay.
  • Budget / revenue: Operating revenues of $13,388,723 and total net position of $226,370,760 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 (audited). Revenue is mostly leases, airport fees, and grants.
  • When and where it meets: At the district's offices at England Airpark; notice and agenda posted at least 24 hours ahead under the Open Meetings Law.
  • Where agendas/minutes are posted: At the district's principal office and, where applicable, on its website; minutes are public records.
  • How to request records: Written request to the custodian, England Economic and Industrial Development District, 1611 Arnold Drive, Alexandria, LA 71303, (318) 427-6406.