The East Valley Institute of Technology recently filed suit against tenant Adelante Healthcare over a 2011 lease agreement it says was not approved by the school’s governing board, as required by law.
EVIT Superintendent Chad Wilson said the deal could be costing taxpayers decades of below-market rent rates.
“Nowhere in the lease, in the 40-year lease — that, remember, the voters didn't approve and we don't believe that the governing board approved. But nowhere in that lease is there an escalation of the rent,” said Wilson. “So if that is the case, then it's our concern that's a gift of public funds that we're giving away, resources that our taxpayers own at a rate that is far below what they deserve.”
Wilson said the Mesa vocational school’s goal now is to have the court determine whether the lease aligns with state law.
Once a recent audit uncovered the issue, he said, there was no sweeping the 40-year lease with Adelante Healthcare under the rug.
“We don't believe that the lease was ever approved in a public setting by our governing board,” said Wilson. “We believe the former superintendent signed approval for the lease, but we can't find anywhere where she had the authority to do that.”
Rent for the more than 2-acre facility would remain frozen for the life of the lease.
“What we're interested in is finding out through this complaint if our concerns are correct,” Wilson said. “And if they're not then we will continue to have a partnership with Mesa Medical and Adelante that we believe can be healthy and productive. If they are correct then we'll have to sit down and think through what that next step looks like.”
While it’s been challenging to piece together what happened, said Wilson, the hope is that the judge can provide clarity.
