OPINION — A recent letter regarding the River of Time Museum spins a highly political narrative I feel ignores legal reality. To suggest that Mayor Gerry Friedel and conservative council members are trying to run a local treasure out of town is completely false.
The issue with the River of Time lease was never a lack of support; it was a strict legal hurdle created by the Arizona Constitution's Gift Clause. Under state law, a municipality cannot provide deeply discounted benefits to a private entity without a fair market return. For 25 years, the town provided 5,000 square feet of space to the museum for just $1 a year while investing over $210,000 into its permanent exhibits.
As the August 2026 lease expiration approached, town staff — exercising mandatory fiscal responsibility — notified the museum that continuing a $1-a-year lease without an updated business plan could violate state law. The council was bound by an oath to address this issue.
