Bradford County pauses payments to Fair Association, staff secures records as sheriff urges legal action

The Board of County Commissioners of Bradford County, Florida, voted May 6 to approve most items on the consent agenda but removed the agenda item that would have authorized a Tourism Development Council payment related to the Bradford County Fair Association and its related organizations. The board also directed staff to pause any new requests from the Fair Association until a newly constituted fair board is in place and county staff finish a records review.

The pause followed public comments questioning the accuracy of a grant application and a lengthy presentation from the sheriff outlining what he called possible improprieties in the Fair Association’s recent asset transfers. Paul Steele, a public commenter, told commissioners the application and tax-identification information in the packet did not match the nonprofit the county intended to fund. “I’m just suggesting that you may want to send that one back…so that you don’t have this incorrect information in your allocation,” Steele said.

Why it matters: county leaders said the county and community may have an interest in clarifying ownership of fair property, loans and bank accounts tied to the fair’s nonprofit. The sheriff urged the commission to support civil and criminal review, saying the association may have exceeded authority in transferring assets and in taking on debt. The county manager and sheriff’s office subsequently secured records and some equipment and said the Florida Department of Agriculture would occupy the fair administrative offices.

Details and actions - Staff recommended pulling item I (the splash-bash/TDC allocation) from the consent agenda. Commissioner K. Thompson moved to approve the consent agenda except item I; Commissioner Andrews seconded. The motion carried, 5-0. (Motion: “approve consent agenda except for item I”; mover: Commissioner Thompson; second: Commissioner Andrews; tally: yes 5, no 0; outcome: approved.) - Following public comment and sheriff remarks, the commission directed staff to pause any new requests or disbursements tied to the Fair Association until a new, duly constituted fair board is seated and the county’s review is complete. - County staff said they boxed and secured fair administrative documents and equipment and moved them into county custody pending review. The county manager told the board the Department of Agriculture is slated to move into the building. - The sheriff told the board he was coordinating with the state agriculture commissioner, the state attorney and the statewide prosecutor and asked the commission to “seek every legal avenue possible, whether it be civil, criminal, or both.” The sheriff summarized multiple concerns including quorum and charter irregularities, loan and foreclosure timing, and transfers to an entity called Friends of the Fair.

What commissioners said Commissioner Spooner and others said the county intended to reconstitute the fair board by appointing new members. The county manager said applications to sit on the fair review committee are due Friday, May 9, and that staff aims to convene the review committee before the next commission meeting so the board can consider appointments at that meeting. The county manager also described the timeline and staff actions to secure records and property.

Authorities mentioned in the meeting Speakers repeatedly referenced state-level rules governing fairs; the sheriff cited “state statute 616” and a subdivision he read aloud as “616.07.” The commission did not adopt new legal findings during the meeting; staff said the county would forward documents to the proper authorities for potential enforcement or legal action.

Background: what prompted the pause Public comments and a Bradford Telegraph article prompted closer review of a recent transfer of fair assets and a loan taken on fair property. The sheriff said the Fair Association filed a domestic nonprofit charter in October 2019 and then executed a roughly $1.5 million loan that same month; he said the association’s charter capped indebtedness at $100,000 and that the timing raised questions for investigators. The sheriff said fair assets had been moved in April and that some meetings and minutes were not publicly posted.

Next steps and follow-up The county manager said the deadline for applications to serve on the reconstituted fair board is May 9 and that staff will convene a review committee to make recommendations at the next board meeting. The sheriff said he would provide facts and a timeline to the state agriculture commissioner and the state attorney; county staff said they would continue inventorying documents and assets and would make them available to investigators.

Ending: public accountability and process Commissioners expressed disappointment at the events surrounding the fair association and said they intended to pursue remedies through the civil and criminal processes while preserving the fair for community use. The board left the item off the consent agenda and created a staff-led process to reconstitute the fair board, secure records, and coordinate with prosecutorial and regulatory authorities.