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County staff members are scrambling to find a short-term fix after a majority of Pima County supervisors opted last week to delay making a decision on how the county-owned park should be managed.

Supervisors Ally Miller and Sharon Bronson dominated the discussion, peppering the county’s economic-development staff with questions about a recent audit of the current management, revenue sharing, liquor licenses and long-term commitments to improvements to the 88-acre Rillito Park.

Unsatisfied with some answers, Supervisor Ramón Valadez offered to table the discussion for 30 days to give county staff time to hammer out details with the Rillito Park Foundation.

The date was moved back to the first week of February — with no one from the staff or the audience pointing out that the foundation plans to have its first race on Jan. 30.

County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said the board was seemingly unaware of the consequences of delaying the decision.

“Apparently the board either has the position that they didn’t want horse racing or that denying any agreement would result in no horse racing,� Huckelberry said.

With no contract in place, Huckelberry said, horse racing at racetrack simply cannot go forward.

Supervisors were quick to say the decision was not meant to disrupt horse racing, with a majority still supporting a current policy allowing up to 18 days of horse racing at the park. The racing is typically held in winter.

Supervisor Richard Elías specifically noted in the discussion Tuesday that questions swirling around the contract were not designed to undermine horse racing or the other primary use for the property — youth soccer.

Tensions between soccer supporters and those that want to see horse racing continue have been mounting for the last few years, peaking when the county decided to tear down horse barns and replace them with new soccer fields.

The president of the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Soccer Academy, Ted Schmidt, said the soccer community has largely been left out of the discussion on the long-term management of the park. He said the Board of Supervisors made the right decision on Tuesday.

Supervisor Ray Carroll, who was supportive of the proposed horse-racing contract on Tuesday, said he is willing to call an emergency meeting to temporarily extend the current contract.

Rillito Park Foundation President Jaye Wells sent a letter on Friday to each of the supervisors, asking them to reinstate the contract from last year.

The contract essentially had two years left on it, but the foundation had pushed for a long-term contract — noting some business partners and would-be donors were wary of making significant commitments since they only had a two-year window.

Wells defended the proposed contract, saying the outside audit was the first of its kind, noting that groups that had held horse racing at the racetrack were never required to perform audits.

While some complained that the contract was brought to the supervisors at the last minute, Wells said the audit was time-consuming, looking at every aspect of the nonprofit from its financials to its statement of organization.

“It had to be done properly,� he said.

With neither side offering to renew the contract for another year after the last season ended, Huckelberry said the Pima County Attorney’s Office has already ruled that the contract has expired.

He hinted, however, that the board ultimately has the authority to offer a temporary contract that would allow for horse racing early next year.

Well said he is hopeful a decision can be worked out in the next few days, allowing horses and jockeys to retake to the track next year.