Ellis County lowers rodeo rental fees for fairgrounds; agreement approved

Ellis County commissioners on Feb. 4 approved an updated rodeo rental agreement that reduces rates for short events to $75 for four hours and $150 for a full day and directs annual review of the fees.

The change was requested by Justin Scheck, Ellis County Fair Board president, who said several local clubs would stop using the county rodeo arena if fees rose further. "If we raise it to the $200 per day, they're probably not gonna be able to use it," Scheck told the commission.

Commissioners said they wanted the facility used and supported the lower fee as a trial. "Let's try this once and see what it does, and next year look at it again," one commissioner said during discussion. The motion to approve the updated fee schedule passed 3-0.

Why it matters: The fairgrounds hosts volunteer-run events with significant unpaid labor. Scheck told commissioners volunteers logged roughly 6,000–6,500 hours last year. County staff and fair-board volunteers also reported recent infrastructure work — a new water line and repairs to camper hookups — and identified additional maintenance needs, chiefly damaged electrical hookup boxes that Midwest Energy warned can cause power draw when exposed.

During discussion, commissioners and fair board members described how the county uses a modest fee to offset maintenance without discouraging local clubs that typically charge small member fees to participate. Scheck said small local rodeos usually attract about 50 to 60 attendees; larger state shows — which draw several hundred people and bring economic activity — remain a separate goal for the board.

The contract approved will be updated to reflect the adopted $75/4-hour and $150/day schedule and may be issued as a two-year agreement subject to annual review. The board also left stall rental and campsite hookup fees unchanged.

Commissioners and staff noted additional fairgrounds work is planned, including repairs this winter and possible locking or replacement of electrical boxes to curb unauthorized hookups and reduce power losses. Commissioners asked county staff to continue coordinating with Midwest Energy and to bring additional cost or scope proposals back to the commission as needed.

"We do it, we kinda revisit the fee schedule annually," a commissioner said, supporting the idea of an annual review.

Ending: The revised rodeo rental agreement will be finalized by county staff and distributed to the fair board; commissioners asked staff and the board to monitor usage and return with updates in subsequent meetings if infrastructure or fee issues reappear.