Mohave County board moves to condemn MCAA leasehold and take possession of Laughlin Bullhead airport after audit and governance concerns

After months of requests for financial records, disputed audits and questions about contract and procurement practices at the Mohave County Airport Authority (MCAA), the Mohave County Board of Supervisors voted on July 20 to authorize county attorneys to take legal steps to condemn the MCAA leasehold interests and to take immediate possession of the Laughlin Bullhead International Airport.

Board members recounted a series of governance and accounting problems that they said were documented in audits, third‑party compilations and internal correspondence. Directors who represent the county on the MCAA described being presented an FY27 budget with inadequate backup the night before a quarterly meeting, a reported $700,000 loan obtained by the airport director from a fuel supplier without full board approval, and an FY24 audit that resulted in a "disclaimer of opinion" because the authority lacked reconciliations, a complete fixed-asset register, and adequate supporting documentation for revenues and expenditures.

Supervisors said repeated requests under the master lease for audited financials, reconciliations and supporting schedules had gone unanswered, and they cited an alleged $100,000 embezzlement and unexplained prior-period adjustments totaling millions of dollars in the authority's records. Some supervisors described an adversarial relationship with the airport director and board, and said the county had exhausted cooperative options.

After public comment from local residents who urged accountability, the board voted to authorize its attorneys to proceed with all necessary actions to condemn the MCAA leasehold and to take possession of the airport. The motion passed by voice vote; the board said the action is a business decision to protect a county-owned asset and should not be read as punitive but as a necessary step to restore transparency and fiscal oversight.

What the board authorized: county attorneys were directed to begin legal steps necessary to condemn the leasehold interests and effect possession. The board said airport operations and FAA obligations will continue and emphasized the county's intent to preserve commercial service and employees while restoring oversight.

Next steps: county attorneys will pursue legal processes; the board signaled a forensic accounting and additional follow-up will occur; supervisors asked that staff and counsel report back with status updates and proposed implementation steps.