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Parks director says ferry disruptions and tax accounting squeezed county fair revenue
Summary
Parks and Fair Director Brandon Andrews told the council weather and ferry cancellations shifted attendance at the county fair, praised new accessibility efforts, and warned that a sales‑tax interpretation and software changes reduced gate revenue, forcing the department to 'eat' the tax in tickets this year.
Brandon Andrews, San Juan County Parks and Fair Director, told the council on Oct. 20 that weather and ferry cancellations affected this year’s county fair attendance and revenue.
Andrews said Friday saw the biggest weather‑related drop (about a 50% decline from 2024), while other days saw increased attendance that largely balanced total visitation, which he estimated was about 5% lower than the prior year. The department tried two accessibility experiments: a calm/sensory tent and a sensory‑friendly early morning on Sunday; the tent was later taken down after volunteer staffing and misuse issues, but the early‑morning quiet hour will be reconsidered and refined.
Andrews flagged another financial challenge tied to sales‑tax accounting: after a change in reporting from a software vendor and guidance from the Department of Revenue, the department concluded that sales tax should be included in admission prices. To avoid creating operational problems for volunteer gate groups, he said the fair ‘ate’ the tax inside the existing ticket price this year — a choice that reduced gate revenue and complicates year‑to‑year budget planning.
Councilmembers thanked Andrews and raised follow‑up items: several asked for a debrief with Washington State Ferries about service disruptions and for staff to build clearer contingency plans for communication with families and vendors in the event of cancelled sailings. Andrews said he will meet with ferry terminal agents and that staff will seek better coordination for future events.
Next steps: Parks staff will pursue a ferry debrief, refine accessibility plans for next year, and bring budget requests as part of the county’s department budget process.
