On the rocks
Squabble erupts over Red Rock Park rodeo management
[photo by Brian Leddy / Independent]

By Kevin Killough
Staff writer

GALLUP — It began with complaints about how rodeo events at Red Rock Park were being managed, escalated to a series of heated letters between George Muñoz and the city, and now may be heading to court with defamation suits over what’s been said.

In February, Muñoz sent a letter to the City Manager Gerald Herrera and Mayor Harry Mendoza detailing a list of grievances against Dudley Byerley, a local rodeo promoter. The letter alleges that Byerley tries to control rodeo events, and that “there are better qualified people in the area that would be willing to produce events if Mr. Byerley was not so heavily involved.”

Herrera, who is on vacation this week, responded by e-mail saying that Byerley has over 30 years of experience in rodeos and does not collect any money for the events.
“Why wouldn’t the city use Mr. Byerley, since he has the experience and it’s unpaid?” Herrera wrote.

Muñoz said that any comments he made would just repeat what was in his letter to the city.

“I think the letter says it all,” he said.

In the letter, Muñoz raises questions about whether or not Byerley does receive any money for his work. According to Muñoz, in 2007, a $6,500 appropriation from lodgers tax money was to be split between the New Mexico High School Rodeo and the New Mexico Junior High School Rodeo. The Junior High Rodeo received a check for $1,750 in May, but High School Rodeo did not receive any funds.

Walt Eddy, who helped coordinate the events, confirmed in a hand-written letter last February that the High School Rodeo did not receive their half. But he told the Independent that this does not necessarily mean that Byerley kept the money for himself.

“There could have well been other expenses that I’m not aware of,” Eddy said.

Herrera confirmed that Byerley did receive lodgers tax funds in a single check from the city. He said he believes both organizations received their part because “no complaint of non-receipt was ever filed with the city.”

He also added that it would not be in the city’s or Byerley’s interest to keep any payments to Byerley hidden, because of the visibility of such records.

“The city is a public entity which is subject to (scrutiny), as you are aware of, through public record inspections.

Therefore, hiding things would be hard, not impossible, but harder than a private business,” Herrera said.

The Independent has requested the records to confirm what amounts were paid out and where the money went. Byerley said that the money never went to him. He said the amount was much smaller than the $6,500 Muñoz is claiming and his expenses for the events ate up the remaining amount.

Byerley also stated that the allegations against him were rumors, and that others that have been floating around the city have been far worse. He said he is now considering legal action for defamation and slander, and his lawyer had advised him not to speak on record about the allegations this early in the case. Byerley said that he can refute all the allegations and hopes to do so in the near future.

As for the complaints about poor management, Muñoz isn’t the only one with them. The New Mexico Junior Rodeo Association President Ron Cowdrey said that his experience at the park was so unpleasant they will no longer be holding rodeos in Gallup under the Mendoza administration. Partly, the problem was that he didn’t like working with Byerley.

“He was running the show, and he doesn’t even work for the park,” said Cowdrey. “Indirectly, he manages to control the functions of the park.”

There was also a misunderstanding that developed over charges for the stalls and RV hook-ups. He said he was originally told that the city would charge $3,750, but later sent him a bill for $6,500.

“I figure it’s just friggin’ small town politics,” he said.

He accused the park management of being “so corrupt” and creating a “mess” of the situation. According to an e-mail to Cowdrey from Parks Director Ben Welch, an anonymous donation of $1,500 and another $1,000 in lodgers tax paid off all but $255 of the remaining changes that NMJRA owed.

The parks department decided to absorb the remainder into its budget, but Cowdrey said he couldn’t let that happen. He recently sent the city a check for the amount.

“I’ll be damned if I’m going to let them absorb that themselves. I just wanted to pay and be done with it,” Cowdrey said.

He said the choice to leave Gallup has deprived the city of a big boost to its economy. They’ve now moved to Farmington.

“We’ll just boost the economy in Farmington,” Cowdrey said.
In a letter responding to Muñoz’s letter, Herrera defended Byerley.

“(Byerley) is being used as an unpaid volunteer consultant for the Wrangler Junior High School Finals Rodeo event. His experience ... has been a wealth of knowledge for the city.

His willingness to ‘volunteer’ his time to an advisory board that does not have the direct control of the city staff speaks highly of his civic duty to his fellow area residents,” Herrera wrote.

Herrera also charged in an e-mail to the Independent that the negativity toward Byerley is the result of a personal grudge against him.

“What we’ve been trying to do is defuse a one-sided personality conflict against (Byerley), which has been going on for the past four months.” Herrera said.