Fair dealing with funding cut

The Wahkiakum County Fair still struggles to survive in a financial climate less hospitable than in years past.

Late in 2009, Wahkiakum County commissioners told the fair board they hadn’t budgeted funds for the 2010 fair season. The state also has threatened to reduce its contribution to fair operations, so far, not saying by how much.

"Part of the problem is the fair board and fair manager both came to us in 2009 and said they wouldn’t need the $17,500 the county usually budgets for the fair each year,” said Commissioner Blair Brady.

Brady said the fair’s management team returned to the table later in 2009 and surprised commissioners by asking them to continue the fair’s historical funding levels.

“The county said they couldn’t offer us any funding because they hadn’t budgeted for the fair and didn’t have the money,” said Fair Board President Bill Coons.

“At first, all we could offer the fair board was about $6,000 for 2010,” said Brady, “but we were finally able to come up with $10,000 to keep the fair going.”

Brady said the deciding factor was that commissioners wanted the fair to keep its 4-H programs viable in order for the fair to qualify for state funding.

Since 2007 the fair’s budget has been cut until today it is almost half of what it was. In 2009 the county’s contribution to the fair was $16,800, most went to pay the fair manager’s salary.

“This year’s cuts have essentially left the fair manager's position un-funded for 2010,” said Coons, “and I can’t imagine what we’re going to do.”

Early in 2009 the fair board also notified the county it intended to develop a non-profit fair organization that would help the fair find grants and other types of funding.

“It was our intention to establish a non-profit organization which would allow us to do more fundraising, look for grants and make the fair independent of the county,” said Fair Manager Sarah Lawrence, “but as time went on there didn’t seem to be enough time to make things work out.”

The fair also receives a little over $30,000 from the state’s gambling revenues. The money is used to pay fair premiums, operation costs and for temporary employees.

“I also think part of the fair’s funding problem is the county’s timber sales,” said Lawrence. “I think because of low timber sales the county has had to make across the board cuts, and the fair was one of them.”

Lawrence said she has no doubt the fair will be affected by the many budget cuts but said she also thinks as the national economy starts to mend people will lend support.

“I have to deal with a lot of negativity surrounding the fair right now, and the only way I can keep going is to have a positive outlook,” Lawrence said, “and regardless of the cuts, the fair is a community event, and I think the community will come together to support the fair.”

Commissioner Brady said to his way of thinking the whole fair issue has been one big juggling act.

“We should know in a couple of weeks if the state plans to cut its support to the fair. If it does, I don’t know what will happen to the fair,” said Brady.