Arizona to close state offices in FLDS town

KINGMAN, Ariz. — Over the objections of the sheriff, attorney and Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, the Mohave County Board of Supervisors approved the removal of property from satellite state and county offices in the Colorado City area by a 2 to 1 vote.

The adjoining polygamist communities of Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah, are both home to the Fundamentalist LDS Church.

A five-year lease the county has with Mohave Community College expires April 1. The college sent a letter to the county on Feb. 5 stating it will not continue to lease the property to the county and requested that the county remove all items, including a double-wide trailer, from the property.

The trailer houses satellite offices for the Mohave County sheriff, county attorney, Arizona attorney general and Arizona Department of Economic Security. It also houses an office for the Defenders of Children. The move could make it more difficult for residents in the area to receive county services and make it more difficult to provide adequate law enforcement or emergency services in the area.

"This is just a lease expiring," community college chancellor Michael Kearns said Monday, when asked if the termination of the lease had anything to do with the Defenders of the Children or the drop in MCC enrollment figures in the area, "There are many, many factors that come into play in that area (Hildale/Colorado City). We're not trying to pre-empt or respond to anything. We're not making a statement about anyone."

There are plenty of other properties in the area the county could use, he said.

The topic was first brought to the attention of the board in January, when a sublease with the Defenders of the Children was brought up for renewal. At that time, a representative from the Colorado City area objected to the renewal of the lease. The board was to meet with the MCC governing board or Kearns about the situation.

County Manager Ron Walker said he and supervisor Gary Watson met with Kearns in January. At that time, Kearns told them that the college's lease with the county was up in April and it was unlikely that the college would renew the lease. The college later sent the letter stating it would not renew the lease.

Mohave County Supervisor Buster Johnson questioned whether that information was ever brought back to the board before Monday's meeting and if the lack of offices in the area would be a detriment.