Warren County commissioners press agricultural society after state audit flags late payments and internal-control lapses

Warren County commissioners heard from leaders of the Warren County Agricultural Society during a work session after a state auditor27s report rated financial control failures at the county-owned fairgrounds but found no evidence of theft.

The society27s new executive committee, elected in August 2025, told commissioners it has paid outstanding bills, replaced key staff, hired a bookkeeper to reconstruct 2024 records in QuickBooks and voted to hold individuals named in the audit personally accountable for findings for recovery. "We inherited the mess. We did not create it," said Chris Lutmer, president of the Warren County Agricultural Society, during the presentation.

Why it matters: The 94-acre Warren County Fairgrounds is a long-standing community asset and a county-owned property that has received millions of taxpayer dollars in past capital support. Commissioners said they need clearer, segregated accounting to determine whether the society27s business units (the annual fair, the event center, horse boarding and other rentals) are financially viable without ongoing county subsidies.

What presenters told commissioners Garrett Garden, who addressed the…