Board presses Mohave County Airport Authority for records, votes ‘resolution of displeasure’ and asks county attorney to investigate

The Mohave County Board of Supervisors on July 21 adopted a resolution expressing displeasure with the Mohave County Airport Authority (MCAA) and directed several follow-up actions after members raised concerns about financial transparency, recent transactions and governance practices.

Supervisor Letman introduced a resolution that criticized the airport authority’s responsiveness to prior county requests for audited financials, a summary of activities and a seat for a county voting member on the airport authority’s board. The board unanimously approved the resolution of displeasure and also approved a request that the county attorney collect testimony and evidence of alleged open‑meeting‑law violations by the airport authority and, if appropriate after review, refer the matter to the Arizona Attorney General.

The board further directed staff to request copies of all Federal Aviation Administration and Arizona Department of Transportation grant documents and CARES Act funding applications for the Laughlin‑Bullhead International Airport and the airport authority for the past five fiscal years. That request included authority to pay reasonable records‑recovery costs if public‑records requests generate charges. The board also discussed specific transactions flagged by supervisors and public records: they cited a previously disclosed figure of roughly $2.5 million in CARES and related funds reported by MCAA in the spring, an early payoff of a roughly $1 million loan, and MCAA’s reported October acquisition of a fixed‑base operator for $1.42 million.

Supervisors said documents and an internal May 7 email from MCAA president William Osborne — in the board packet — raised immediate concerns about the airport’s fuel‑farm condition, a proposed $5 million loan to replace tanks, and statements warning that litigation over leases “would kill the loan” and “essentially close the airport.” The board voted to forward the resolution to the MCAA board and to appropriate state legislators, and it approved the county attorney review and potential referral to the Attorney General. Supervisors also asked staff to coordinate with legislative audit authorities where appropriate; one supervisor noted the state Joint Legislative Audit Committee chair expressed willingness to review matters if requested.