Lawmaker looks into Shiprock Fair Board

SHIPROCK, N.M. (AP) - A New Mexico lawmaker says the Shiprock Fair Board is a for-profit business after conducting an internal review of the organization.

That determination from State Rep. Ray Begaye of Shiprock comes after the board made claims of being incorporated with the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission as a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization.

Begaye says he checked with the state Taxation and Revenue Department, the Secretary of State and the Public Regulatory Commission and determined the fair is "not an affiliation of the New Mexico state government."

The report fuels complaints among lawmakers and residents that the fair benefits only a handful of people although it brings in as much as $4 million annually in revenue.

Information from: The Daily Times