Contract dispute could delay Rillito Park racing

Uncertainties over the contract to manage the annual racing season at Rillito Regional Park are likely to delay the racing season.

Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson — who supports the existing contract agreement — and fellow supervisors plan to discuss a possible contract extension for the Rillito Park Foundation, which has operated the annual winter horse racing season at the park for more than a year.

But the continuation of that contract and the future of horse racing at the park, at 4502 N. First Ave., were called into question recently as supervisors postponed a vote in December.

“That contract was a serious departure from the existing contract,” Bronson said.

In particular, Bronson said provisions of the proposed contract presented to the board in December included untenable facility improvements like grandstand repairs, ADA-compatible restrooms, kitchen improvements and other repairs.

“It’s about priorities,” Bronson said. “We can’t fix potholes, why are we going to spend millions on horse racing?”

Jaye Wells, president of the Rillito Park Foundation, understands the financial concerns. But Wells said the organization needs certainty to operate racing in the long term and attract private help.

“We’re trying to be the county’s and the community’s partner in making the facility the best it can be,” Wells said.

Being that partner would be helped by having the assurance of a long-term agreement with the county to manage racing and other park operations, he said.

“We initially intended for a five-year lease with a five-year renewal,” Wells said.

Having a long-term agreement in hand like that would make it easier to solicit private donations, Wells said.

Take, for example, the situation with barns at the racing facility.

When the old horse stalls were torn down to make room for new soccer fields the county added, a new barn was built at county expense at the other end of the property.

But as it stands now, the new barn doesn’t nearly meet the capacity needed to pull off a successful racing season.

Wells said the barn can accommodate only a fraction of the 250 spaces needed for a racing season.

“In the absence of money to build permanent barns, we’re going to have to rent barns,” Wells said.

That will cost about $50,000 for the season, which is money Wells said could have been used for long-term facilities improvements.

Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said he would like to see the foundation raise the money or use its profits from last season to build more barns and horse facilities.

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Wells said the foundation would gladly do that if it had enough money.

“From day one, we said no taxpayer money should be used,” he said.

But if the contract to operate racing is renewed on a year-by-year basis, Wells said it makes it difficult to attract private donors who could help fund things like new barns.

That’s because donors might be unwilling to part with their money without long-term assurances, he said.

Private donations could also help the foundation continue to diversify the offerings at the park.

Events like concerts require up-front payments from organizers for security, parking and other concerns, he said.

With private donations, the Rillito Park Foundation could handle those up-front expenses.

Bronson supports the foundation’s efforts, but said a contract renewal beyond the current fiscal year or possibly the next is likely all the board could do for now because of the time constraints.

“We normally do this in July; it came to us the last meeting in December,” she said.

More than that, she said the board had just five days before the meeting to consider the new contract, and the board postponed the vote.

“I’m very disappointed with staff,” Bronson said.

And while in the near term racing appears to have a future at Rillito, Bronson said that could change.

“It’s time to look at our options,” she said.

Those options include a revival of discussions to move racing to the Pima County Fairgrounds.

“Maybe that’s something we should consider,” she said.

Huckelberry said that could prove difficult to do.

“The Pima County Fair Commission said, ‘We don’t want it,’” Huckelberry said. Further, building a new facility at the fairgrounds would be too costly, he said.

Wells said if the board approves the contract extension on Tuesday, racing season should begin on Feb. 13.