Oklahoma County moves to clarify finances and name coordinator for county free fair

The Oklahoma County Policy & Governance Committee voted to begin a process to place a county employee in an administrative coordinator role for the Oklahoma County Free Fair Association and to develop clearer financial procedures.

The move follows a presentation of a draft county free fair manual provided by the state auditor. The committee discussed three options for administering the fair’s administrative and financial tasks: (a) hire a new county director/coordinator, (b) create a memorandum of understanding with the county clerk to handle finance, or (c) assign the duties to an existing county employee with capacity. The committee directed staff to pursue option (c) with an initial candidate identified.

Why it matters: Fair operations have suffered delayed payments and unclear processes. Committee members cited judges and other fair workers paid months late and said a single county point of contact and standardized forms would improve timeliness and compliance with state guidance.

Committee members and Free Fair Association representatives described the current state as informal. Jeff Parker, chair of the Oklahoma County Free Fair Association, told the committee, “Well, we really have no guidance. We've never had a playbook... We want some hard guidelines to figure out what we're doing.”

County staff outlined three administrative options. Karen Kent, identified in the discussion as the county’s HR/safety administrator, proposed using an existing county employee to add fair duties and update that person’s job description rather than creating a separate full-time position. Kent said a candidate, Laura K., whose title was given as HR safety administrator/office administrator, had agreed to take on the tasks if the board directed that approach: "She is willing to take on the task." The committee also discussed working with the county clerk’s office to standardize forms and handling of requisitioning and vendor payments.

Members flagged practical problems addressed by the change: judges and volunteers had been paid late for past events, and the fair lacks a dedicated facility and consistent administrative support. Committee members also noted that some expenses cannot be forecast (court-ordered assignments of GPS or other services were referenced later in the meeting) and said building consistent processes would allow the county to budget and, if needed, request additional funds.

Action taken: The committee made and approved a motion to move forward with assigning Laura K. to take on coordinator duties for the free fair as a county employee, instructing HR and the clerk’s office to work on job-description modifications, compensation or stipend details and to return with final recommendations at the next Policy & Governance meeting. The motion passed on voice vote.

The committee asked staff to check the current $5,000-a-year salary estimate for a dedicated coordinator and to consider whether the county should instead place the duties as an added responsibility for an existing position with adjusted pay or stipend. Staff will draft any required job description changes, examine the budget options (including encumbering funds in the next budget cycle), and prepare a final proposal for the February Policy & Governance meeting.

The committee also instructed the clerk’s office to review the draft manual and produce an Oklahoma County–specific addendum to align with county procedures.

Ending: Staff will continue drafting the procedural manual addendum and job-description adjustments and will bring a final recommendation back to the committee in February. The committee emphasized quick action to ensure judges and other contractors are paid on time for the fair’s upcoming events.