Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Arkansas agriculture officials signal plan to stabilize fair funding after years of ad hoc support
Summary
Department of Agriculture officials told the Senate committee they are working with the governor and a newly formed stakeholder group to present a longer-term funding plan for county, district and state fairs, after decades of allocations from multiple ‘pots’ of money left fair managers uncertain year to year.
Secretary West Ward told the Senate Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development Committee that the Department of Agriculture is working with the governor’s office and stakeholders to stabilize fair funding and present a proposal during the upcoming fiscal session.
"We are working on that," Ward said when asked how the department plans to address recurring shortfalls. He noted the legislature approved an additional $178,000 to a restricted reserve last year to restore county and district fair allocations to 2022 levels, and that officials want a single, transparent appropriation line so recipients know what to expect from year to year.
Lacey…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
