CVAA has until March 31 to vacate the town-owned equestrian center
The rodeo grounds lease agreement between the Town of Camp Verde and the Camp Verde Arena Association was terminated by the town following CVAA’s vote to deny the proposed lease amendment.
On Nov. 3, Town Manager Miranda Fisher and attorney Trish Stuhan met with CVAA’s attorney to discuss the proposed revisions.
On Nov. 10, the Camp Verde Town Council reviewed the amended agreement in executive session to. The next day, Nov. 11, the town provided the amended lease agreement to CVAA for its board to review, but on Nov. 13, CVAA formally voted to deny the proposed lease amendment.
After notifying the town of its decision, town staff began coordinating with CVAA to schedule a walkthrough of the property to see which amenities are the town’s and which were CVAA’s and need to be removed.
Town Manager Miranda Fisher said the catalyst that started this was the Gift Clause in the Arizona State Constitution and lack of financial transparency, as well as a desire to clean up the three separate agreements.
The clause — in Article 9, Section 7 of the Arizona Constitution — prevents the state, counties, cities and towns from giving or loaning credit, making donations or acting as a shareholder for private individuals, associations, nonprofits or corporations to ensure public funds are used for public benefit and not to unfairly aid private enterprises. A transaction must serve a public purpose and the public must receive adequate, non-disproportionate consideration in direct benefit or commensurate value in return, according to a two-prong test in judicial precedent.
The CVAA rents the Camp Verde Equestrian Center for $1 per year, but has no financial reports listed on its website to verify the nonprofit’s budget, revenue, expenses or funding sources.
Mary Phelps, president of CVAA, requested an extension of the original date of Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, in the notice of termination to Tuesday, March 31. Phelps said CVAA lacks the manpower to remove all items within 30 days by volunteers alone.
The council voted unanimously to extend the date to March 31 for CVAA to fully vacate the premises.
“We are deeply committed to serving the community and will continue to do so,” Phelps said in a statement. “Our aspiration is to reconstruct and establish another venue to provide entertainment and community engagement. … We possess the resolve and the autonomy to determine whether we will permit a municipality to dictate the operations of our nonprofit organization or if we will pursue alternative avenues.”
Following the notice of termination, town staff developed a request for qualifications to solicit experienced entities to assume full responsibility for the Camp Verde Equestrian Center.
The council unanimously approved the release of the RFQ on Thursday, Dec. 4, with a deadline of 1 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 2.
Arizona State Constitution, Title 9, Article 7, the “Gift Clause”:
Gift or loan of credit; subsidies; stock ownership; joint ownership: Neither the state, nor any county, city, town, municipality, or other subdivision of the state shall ever give or loan its credit in the aid of, or make any donation or grant, by subsidy or otherwise, to any individual, association, or corporation, or become a subscriber to, or a shareholder in, any company or corporation, or become a joint owner with any person, company, or corporation, except as to such ownerships as may accrue to the state by operation or provision of law or as authorized by law solely for investment of the monies in the various funds of the state.
Camp Verde Arena Association statement:
“The Camp Verde Arena Association has diligently developed the Equestrian Center into its current state, evolving from an initial concept to a fully realized facility. CVAA has maintained transparency and consistently exceeded the expectations outlined in our agreements. We have adhered to the lease agreement in its entirety, a standard not met by the Town of Camp Verde, which has been in breach since the outset. Regrettably, the Town of Camp Verde has not acted as a partner or supporter, instead presenting continuous resistance. While the Town of Camp Verde made requests, CVAA sought assistance in terms of resources, personnel, and on-the-ground support, which was not provided. This lease agreement appears to exclusively benefit the town, offering no reciprocal advantages to our entirely volunteer-driven nonprofit organization, even though we were committed to working with the town to come to an amended agreement that showed true partnership. It is important to recall that the current, valid lease agreement was drafted by the Town of Camp Verde. The suggestion that we must transition to an amended agreement, based solely on an individual’s opinion that our existing lease is no longer suitable, is concerning. This unilateral decision to terminate our agreement is particularly perplexing given that we have never received any formal reprimands, fines, or notifications of breach of contract, in fact our lease is paid in full for the 25 years. We are deeply committed to serving the community and will continue to do so. Our aspiration is to reconstruct and establish another venue to provide entertainment and community engagement. The CVAA operates with conviction, guided by principles of faith, family, and freedom. We possess the resolve and the autonomy to determine whether we will permit a municipality to dictate the operations of our nonprofit organization or if we will pursue alternative avenues. While this situation is genuinely disheartening, we remain steadfast and confident in our ability to prevail. Were looking forward to 2026 Fort Verde Days Rodeo, more information later to come. Thank you Camp Verde for all your support through all the years, we truly tried our best and were sorry that this is the decision the Town has come to.”
The CVAA did not provide evidence, records, documentation, litigation or filed complaints indicating that “the Town of Camp Verde … has been in breach since the outset.”
The CVAA wrote “The suggestion that we must transition to an amended agreement, based solely on an individual’s opinion that our existing lease is no longer suitable, is concerning,” but did not indicate who the aforementioned “individual” is. The 39-page letter of intent to the CVAA was issued by Town Manager Miranda Fisher, signed by Pierce Coleman PC law firm attorney Trish Stuhan, on behalf of the town, and numerous other Piece Coleman PC principals and attorneys are cited in the letterhead.
Notice-of-Intent-to-Terminate-Current-Rodeo-Grounds-Lease-Agreement-and-Proposed-Amended-and-Restated-Lease-6-25-25According to Camp Verde Town Manager Miranda Fisher in June, the letter of intent from the Town of Camp Verde to the Camp Verde Arena Association included four concerns for the town and its taxpayers:
■ Financial Transparency: “For over a year, the town has asked CVAA to share basic financial records related to the operation of the rodeo grounds,” Fisher wrote. “Because those records were not provided, the town formalized its concerns through the letter issued in June. The town is requesting regular financial reports to evaluate how funds are being used and whether there is a return on investment for the public.”
■ Public Access & Accountability: “The original lease intended for the rodeo grounds to be available for broader public use” Fisher stated. “The updated agreement would clarify how the facility is made accessible to the public and what the town receives in return for allowing CVAA to use the space for $1/year.”
■ Legal Compliance: ”Due to Arizona’s ‘gift clause,’ the town must demonstrate that public funds used to support a private entity, including nonprofits, are tied to a public purpose and provide adequate benefit in return. The current lease lacks the necessary legal protections, such as the right to audit or review financials.” The Gift Clause is Article 9, Section 7 of the Arizona State Constitution.
■ Open Communication: “The town has communicated to CVAA leadership both verbally and in writing that we are happy to meet and discuss the proposed lease after we have received their response,” Fisher wrote. “A written response is an expected and necessary step in any contract-related matter, which is why the town requested to start with their response prior to setting up a meeting with CVAA.”
