Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Fair Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill would repeal law allowing counties to convert fair boards to advisory status
Summary
Representative Gerald Raymond introduced RS 32090 to repeal an older statute that lets county commissioners in higher‑population counties designate county fair boards as advisory only; the sponsor said the law is outdated and the proposal would grandfather two counties currently operating under advisory status.
Representative Gerald Raymond told the committee he brought RS 32090 in response to an older remedy enacted after 1989 Ada County fair board problems. Under that law, which Raymond described as adopted in 1989 and later amended to raise the population threshold from 100,000 to 200,000, a county with a large population could permit county commissioners to name the fair board advisory only; Raymond said some had suggested raising the threshold again to 500,000 but he recommended full repeal and grandfathering the two counties that currently operate as advisory-only.
Raymond said the change aims to "support our county fair boards" and remove the statutory option that could be used to reduce a fair board to advisory status in the future. Committee members asked clarifying questions: Representative Mathias asked Raymond to confirm the bill's intent and Raymond replied, "We are repealing the law. We're simply replacing that section of code with language that grandfathers in the 2 counties that are currently operating as advisory boards only and allowing the other 42 counties in the state to move forward" without the threat of conversion to advisory status.
Representative Deigert moved to introduce RS 32090 and Representative Mathias and others spoke in support and asked that, when the bill returns for a hearing, staff address how the change would affect county commissioners, fair boards and local funding responsibilities. Representative Nelson specifically asked for consideration of how the change would keep "everybody at the table and working together." Representative McCann asked that the committee consider county commissioners' perspectives and the practical question of who would bear costs if a fair were no longer connected administratively to the county.
The committee approved introduction of RS 32090 by voice vote. The transcript records the bill was introduced; details such as a hearing date, detailed fiscal impact, or text of the replacement language were not provided on the record.
