Polk County holds public hearing on fairgrounds levy; locals urge clarity and a November vote

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 described the process and limits for ballot language: titles are short and descriptions limited to 175 words.

Dozens of residents, vendors and community leaders testified. Several major themes emerged: strong support for keeping the fairgrounds open because it hosts year‑round events and serves as an emergency staging site; requests for clearer, audited budget and spending plans; calls to narrow capital “wish lists” to essential repairs; and disagreement over timing — whether to ask the public an advisory question in May or put an operating levy directly on the November ballot.

Roxanne Belts urged the county to secure funding commitments first and then ask voters, saying sequencing matters and that federal offices have expressed interest in helping identify resources. “By working together, locking in funding, and then making a clear and well defined public ask, we give the Polk County Fairgrounds its best chance to remain open now and to thrive long term,” she said.

A number of regular users and vendors said a November levy would allow more time for outreach and turnout and avoid the lower participation May elections often draw. Marcus Walker, a Polk County Fair Board member, recommended skipping a May advisory question and putting an operating levy on the November ballot, warning a May question could confuse voters.

Some testimony pressed the county on whether it had exhausted other funding sources. John Swanson pointed to state funding channels and said counties should be receiving more state support, noting an expectation that part of lottery revenue is allocated to fairgrounds; attendees also asked whether federal or USDA grants had been fully pursued. County staff and fair‑board members responded that staff have pursued grants but that available grants have typically been small and that many grants carry restrictions that limit their usefulness for broad operating needs.

Several speakers recounted the fairgrounds’ emergency role. Jackson Kent described the site’s use during wildfire evacuations and the difficulty of sheltering livestock elsewhere, arguing the fairgrounds provide a vital safety net for the agricultural community.

Commissioners and staff repeatedly emphasized that no final decision was made at the hearing. Hansen explained that if the board delays an operating levy until November, the county would likely fund operations through Dec. 31 while awaiting election results. “We would probably fund the fair through December 31,” Hansen said, noting that whether the facility remains open beyond the end of the fiscal year will be a budget and board decision.

The hearing closed with commissioners thanking the public and saying conversations would continue. The board did not vote at the hearing on whether to place the advisory question on the May ballot; next steps will depend on further staff analysis and the commissioners’ deliberations.