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Rodeo volunteers dispute claims of nonprofit delinquency at City of Needles meeting
Summary
Members of the Needles Rodeo Association defended their nonprofit status and volunteer work after councilmember and candidate comments; a resident cited Department of Justice records he said showed delinquency, prompting conflicting public claims.
Several members of the Needles Rodeo Association and long-time volunteers used the public-comment period to rebut allegations about the organization’s legal standing and to defend their service to the community.
Lori Fragoso, introduced herself as a board member and resident (914 Old Court) and said the Needles Rodeo has run for nearly 50 years and has been organized as a nonprofit since 2014. She said the association is in good standing with the IRS and denied the allegation that their 501(c)(3) status had been revoked. Fragoso urged council members to verify the IRS record and highlighted the volunteers’ unpaid work, noting the association’s listed donations total $10,306.32 to date.
Corey Payne, who identified himself as a long-time co-chair, said the association is not a political actor and defended volunteers — calling recent criticisms unfair and warning that volunteer withdrawals would harm the event. Payne emphasized his longstanding service and framed the matter as a community issue rather than politics.
Wayne Volburn, another public commenter, said he reviewed records with the California Department of Justice and asserted the association’s registration status was delinquent since 05/15/21; he said the record still showed delinquent as of 06:20 that evening. Fragoso and Payne rejected the characterization and said the association remains in good standing with the IRS. The exchange recorded a public dispute of a factual claim about registration status; there was no formal presentation of DOJ or IRS documents in the meeting record on the record beyond the commenters’ statements.
The council did not take action on the matter during the meeting. Members of the public urged the council to avoid politicizing volunteer groups and emphasized the rodeo’s community benefits.
Next steps for residents seeking clarity: verify nonprofit registration and standing with the California Department of Justice and the IRS via their public portals or the city clerk for any submitted documentation.
