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Polk County holds public hearing on fairgrounds levy; locals urge clarity and a November vote
Summary
Commissioners heard two hours of public testimony on whether to place an advisory May ballot question about a proposed operating levy for the Polk County Fairgrounds. Residents and vendors largely urged clear funding plans and many recommended placing a levy directly on the November ballot with a robust outreach campaign.
Polk County officials held a public hearing on whether to place an advisory question on the May ballot asking voters whether the county should pursue an operating levy to support the Polk County Fairgrounds.
Lyle Mordhorst, who opened the hearing, summarized the county’s financial picture and the facility’s needs, saying the fairgrounds hosts hundreds of events and is an important community asset. “Those are the numbers,” Mordhorst said, listing estimates for repairs and operations: “$1,400,000 in capital upgrades, and then we need the $300,000 a year in funding for annual operations.”
Budget officer Mr. Hansen told the room the county’s general fund has “lost about a little over $2,000,000 in the last 3 years” and described how revenues and expenses have diverged. Hansen said an operating levy in the range of about 10–13¢ per $1,000 of assessed value would generate roughly $850,000 but that the board has not set a levy amount or duration. He also…
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