Fair Board conducts public meeting

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Van Wert County Fair Board held a public meeting on Saturday to provide information on the organization’s financial situation and to provide a forum for area residents to provide input on the direction of the fair.

Board President Brad Taylor addressed the fair board’s finances, noting that a lot harder look is being taken to keep expenses down. “We’re trying to analyze every expense we have to get this in line,” Taylor said, adding that the fair is now on a much more solid financial foundation than it has been over the past few years. “We’re going to be pretty strong.”

Fair Board Director Tim Short and Taylor also addressed a number of facility projects on the fairgrounds, including renovation of the Dairy Barn, as well as improvements planned for the Junior Fair Building, and volunteer efforts to replace the dilapidated Rabbit Barn.

“We’re looking towards the future,” Taylor said of the projects underway and those contemplated.

New Fair Board Director Gary Showalter had a number of things to say about the fair and efforts to improve finances and streamline fair operations.

“This is a business, it needs to be run like a business,” Showalter said, adding, “We’re fighting for consumer dollars for everything we do out here, for all events, at all times.”

One person who attended suggested the Fair Board seek corporate sponsorships to help fund the fair, noting that the Putnam County Fair has significant corporate support that has allowed it to maintain its fairgrounds and fair.

“I don’t believe the fair will survive without corporate sponsorship,” Showalter said in response, noting that he feels corporate sponsorship is critical to improving and maintaining the county fair, and that efforts would be made to get local companies to help fund fair activities and events.

One thing the Fair Board is doing this year to bring people back to the fair, Showalter said, is lower admission prices from $6 to $5, although he added that doing so would also decrease fair revenues approximately $16,000.

Fair Board members also discussed efforts at the state level to tax entertainment; although former fair manager Paul Oechsle said state officials are now saying that fairs were not intended to be included in the tax and would likely be exempted.

Local resident Deb Venderly also talked about her efforts to get a name band to perform at this year’s county fair, noting that she has raised $12,000 so far and hopes to come up with at least $20,000 to provide upfront money to hire a band, so that the Fair Board doesn’t have any financial risk in doing so. Venderly said she has been talking to Maverick Media about that media company finding a band for the fair, and noted that doing so would cost the Fair Board 298 tickets, which would given to Maverick Media for promotions and other activities.

She also added that she had an opening act that would play for free at the fair, but also stressed that fundraising efforts would ensure that the Fair Board not incur financial losses such as were experienced in the past.

In a special meeting held after the public meeting, the Fair Board voted to authorize exploring using Maverick Media to find a band for this year’s fair, with the added stipulation that the Fair Board have no other financial risk than providing tickets.

Although the 12 Fair Board members who attended the event nearly outnumbered members of the public who attended, there was plenty of input from those who showed up. The board also promised to hold future public meetings to continue efforts to foster better public relations with the community.