MOHAVE COUNTY – Decades of operation of the Mohave County Fairgrounds by the Fair Association is likely coming to an end. Member Travis Lingenfelter’s proposal to bring the fairgrounds under the management umbrella of the Parks Department was approved during Monday’s Mohave County board of supervisors meeting.
“It’s time to fix the problem,” Lingenfelter said. Lingenfelter said the Fair Association that manages the 68-acre fairgrounds property in Kingman through an agreement with the county has failed to adhere to a business plan adopted in 2016.
“I didn’t even know it existed until 2:30 yesterday afternoon,” Fair Association Chairman Jerry McGuire conceded. “We had no idea, our board, that we had this plan.”
Former Fair Association chairman Gerri Goers-Rogers did not accept McGuire’s claim that the board was ignorant of the plan.
“They just chose not to read it and not to follow it,” Goers-Rogers said. “I am 100% for the county taking it over. The fairgrounds need to be run like a business.”
Goers-Rogers told supervisors that she is disgusted that the fairgrounds facilities are rundown and filthy.
McGuire and Fair Association board member Becky Fawson agreed communication with the county should have been better, and that the county bears some responsibility in that regard as well. Fawson expressed hope that some new private partnership might be employed for future fairgrounds operations.
Supervisors, however, directed Elters to begin preparing to transition the property to county control. Elters said he believes he can bring a plan back to the board by late August.
Parks Administrator Kristin Zimmerman expressed confidence in managing the fairgrounds, noting she has supervised successful, revenue generating golf course and water park operations over her 20-year career. She said it would require 4-5 new county employees.
The county’s current lease with the Fair Association expires next March. Deputy county attorney Ryan Esplin said it can be terminated without cause, though 90 days’ notice is required.
The Board postponed consideration of Lingenfelter’s proposal for liquidating the property and relocating the fairgrounds. Supervisors decided to revisit that concept later, while getting the management transition underway.
Dave Hawkins
