Kelly Tynan nominated to Polk County Fair Board after outlining plans to bolster fairgrounds

Kelly Tynan, a Polk County resident and events-business owner, applied on March 25 to join the Polk County Fair Board and described plans to help the county preserve and improve the Polk County Fairgrounds.

Tynan told the Polk County Board of Commissioners that she has long family ties to the county and extensive practical experience using fairgrounds for events, saying she and her fiance run an events business that currently books shows in Polk and neighboring counties. “Fairgrounds are places we absolutely believe are vital to the county for so many reasons, not just as meeting places, places to hold events, but as emergency centers,” she said. She also described working with vendors and managing expo logistics.

In reply to commissioners’ questions, Tynan recommended a two-tiered rental structure with modest nonprofit discounts and suggested negotiated monthly rates for recurring users to ensure stable bookings. She said the Polk County Fairgrounds are “about 70 years old” and listed deferred maintenance needs — an electrical system upgrade, building repairs and roof safety work — as priorities to keep the facility competitive.

Tynan said she had taken only a “brief look” at the fair and facility budget and had not performed a line-by-line review. Commissioners cautioned that the fair’s operations currently rely in part on transfers from the county general fund to cover staffing and operating costs and stressed the importance of identifying alternative revenue sources.

The board and Tynan discussed a possible levy to fund maintenance and capital needs. Tynan said she would help with a campaign for future revenues and signaled a preference for going directly to a levy rather than an advisory May measure. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” she said, and warned that closing the fairgrounds could have a regional impact on neighboring counties’ events.

A commissioner moved and seconded Tynan’s appointment to the Polk County Fair Board; the transcript does not record a formal roll-call tally but subsequent remarks from commissioners and the applicant indicate the board accepted the application and the parties offered thanks and congratulations.

After the appointment discussion the board announced it would convene an executive session under ORS 192.660(2)(d) to deliberate on labor negotiations.

What’s next: The transcript does not record an exact vote tally, budget line items or a formal timeline for capital work; commissioners stressed the need to identify alternate revenues and suggested the board will continue work on funding options such as a levy.