The Polk County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 23 agreed to pursue a joint public meeting with the county fair board to review the fairgrounds’ finances and options for sustaining operations after commissioners described significant operating shortfalls and one-time infrastructure needs.

Speaker 3 (identified in the transcript only by a numeric label) said, "It's $300,000 short a year with our budget dwindling," characterizing the fairgrounds' ongoing operating gap. Speaker 4 noted a November cash-flow example, saying, "they took in 20,000 spent 80,000. So they lost 60,000 in November alone," while cautioning that cash-flow timing can misstate longer-term results.

Why it matters: The county budget process is already underway; commissioners said having clear profit-and-loss and quarterly financials in advance would make any joint meeting with the fair board more productive and help determine whether to pursue options such as targeted fundraising, operational changes, caretaker arrangements, or a new levy.

What the commissioners discussed

Speaker 2 proposed scheduling a joint meeting with the fair board and inviting community members to provide a deeper dive into finances and future strategic planning. Speaker 1 suggested waiting until the fair board’s February annual meeting, which is when the fair board typically discusses planning; Speaker 2 and others said an earlier meeting might be needed because budget decisions are imminent.

Speakers pressed for more detailed financial data. Speaker 2 asked for historical P&L statements and quarterly summaries to assess revenue targets and track trends over time. Speaker 4 offered to contact "Tina and Tim" (named in the meeting) and meet with them and county staff to identify likely budget proposals and to request answers in time for the fair board’s annual meeting.

Options and constraints

Commissioners discussed that the fairgrounds likely will not be a breakeven operation without external support such as sponsorships, benefactors or state assistance. Speaker 3 referred to a one-time infrastructure need—"the million dollars"—to address safety and electrical issues; commissioners noted that even if one-time capital needs were met, the fairgrounds show an ongoing annual operating deficit that would require recurring funding decisions.

Speaker 4 outlined operational options if the county reduces direct funding, including estimating costs for reduced service levels, exploring a caretaker model, and retaining some revenue streams such as RV and storage fees to offset utilities and personnel costs.

Levy and outreach concerns

Speaker 2 said they were not firmly committed to seeking another levy after the previous levy failed, and would reconsider only if community support became evident from outreach. Speaker 3 urged focused outreach in West Salem, noting concerns that many residents there may not recognize they are in Polk County and may not see value in the fairgrounds.

Votes at a glance

• Approval of agenda — moved/seconded; voice vote; passed unanimously (yes: 3, outcome: approved).
• Approval of minutes (Dec. 16) — moved/seconded; voice vote; passed unanimously (yes: 3, outcome: approved).

The board did not take any formal votes on funding, levies or scheduling dates for a joint fairboard meeting during the session. The meeting adjourned after scheduling discussion.

Sources and provenance: Meeting transcript; discussion of the fairgrounds begins at SEG 034 and continues through SEG 256 in the transcript. Quotes and attributions use the numeric speaker labels that appear in the record.