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Rep. Raymond introduces request to repeal law allowing large counties to make fair boards advisory
Summary
Representative Gerald Raymond introduced RS 32090, a proposal to repeal an older statute that allowed county commissioners in larger counties to convert county fair boards to advisory status; the committee voted to introduce the request for public hearing.
Representative Gerald Raymond told the committee he is asking the body to introduce RS 32090, which would repeal a decades-old statute that allows county commissioners in counties above a population threshold to designate county fair boards as advisory only.
Raymond said the original 1989 law addressed specific problems in Ada County by giving county commissioners the authority "by resolution" to name county fair boards advisory and take control of county fairs. The statute was later amended to raise the threshold to 200,000 population. Raymond said some had suggested raising the threshold again to 500,000 but he proposed repeal as a cleaner approach.
"County fair boards are volunteer. They are appointed by county commissioners," Raymond said. "I think it's very, very important that we simply repeal the law. . . . We're simply removing the option from counties of moving to an advisory board only." He said the draft would grandfather the two counties currently operating under advisory status while restoring the typical arrangement for the other counties.
Committee members asked for additional context at hearing about how the change would affect county commissioners' roles, fair boards and funding. Representative Nelson asked Raymond to present how the repeal would "keep everybody at the table and working together," and Representative McCann asked that committee members hear whether county commissioners support the change and how cost and funding would be handled.
The committee approved introduction of RS 32090 by motion and voice vote and will hold a public hearing where those concerns can be explored.
