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Committee Debates Fair Funding

Supervisor Opinions Clash on Amount, Use of Money

By Martha E. Conway

(Wampsville – Feb. 23, 2010) Madison County Fair Board member and Fair Co-Director Mary Lou Thall pleaded the Fair’s case for county funding at the regular meeting of the Madison County Board of Directors Planning Committee last week.

Thall, accompanied by Supervisor John Salka (R,C,I – Brookfield), was there to answer questions about the Fair’s budget, allocations and plans.

“The Board of Supervisors did not make a definitely appropriation for the Fair,” said County Administrator Paul Miller. “We put $25,000 into contingency – not earmarked – that could be used for any purpose. We made a demand for more information and the Fair’s long-range plans. We developed a list of issues and asked a lot about finances – a list of 2009 events at the Fairgrounds, participants – it’s still a work in progress.”

Thall said she was there to ask the county to reinstate the Fair’s funding and to build on the partnerships of participating departments that helped increase the Fair’s success last year.

“That should happen again this year,” Thall said, “but it should not come from the Fair Board, but from the county leadership.”

Thall said there is a new board, new officers and a new direction for the event. She said the group has worked to improve transparency and cooperation.

“We need a livestock superintendent to pull in the large animals that make it a true county fair,” Thall said. “There are many venues conspiring to pull large animals to their events.”

Niche farmers could bring their animals, special breeds, Thall said, and the ‘Focus on Fiber’ effort last year is something the group would like to build on.

The theme this year is “A Taste of Madison County,” according to Thall. She said the board is working with Madison Bounty and encouraging restaurants to participate.

Supervisor Russell Cary (R – Fenner) said he would like to see the Fair Board incorporate one of its other events – Mule Days, Wheel Days – with the fair.

Thall said those events draw the same crowds and wouldn’t boost attendance.

Supervisor Ralph Monforte (R – Cazenovia) suggested the Board of Supervisors match corporate sponsorship up to the $25,000 amount.

“I don’t know why Cargill doesn’t sponsor the animal buildings,” said Madison County Board of Supervisors Chairman John M. Becker (R,C,I – Sullivan). “They sell enough feed down there.”

Supervisor John Salka (R,C,I – Brookfield) said he’d suggested that last year, but felt members of the Fair Board lacked the resources to follow up on it.

“So what happened between last year and this?” Becker asked.

“I don’t know,” Salka responded. “It wasn’t pursued.”

Salka said he felt there have been positive changes with the structure and efforts for the Fair over the past year, following a nosedive for the event two to three years ago.

“No one can disagree there’s been progress,” Salka said. “Participation from the towns, etc., is important. The Fair could be self-supporting, but it needs help to get there. It mostly was people from Brookfield.”

“That’s the way they wanted it,” Becker said.

Salka countered that it had to be. Thall agreed because she said the general public didn’t realize the organization hosts more than just the Fair, and that’s all they were interested in. She said volunteers from the furthest reaches of the county wouldn’t want to be in Brookfield at the crack of dawn to serve breakfast to participants of some of the other events hosted at the fairgrounds.

“It is improving,” Salka repeated. “I would like to see some concerts, flea markets, snowmobiles… It could be a real asset to the county and provide a service to Madison County citizens as a whole.”

Miller said the building of countywide involvement last year was one of the goals. He said last year’s uptick was due largely to former County Historian Mary Messere “going around and dragging people into it.”

According to Miller, Youth Bureau Director Joanne Eddy said she would like to participate again this year for Youth Day, but after suffering compounding budget cuts the past two years, Eddy said she didn’t feel she has the money to buy materials for the projects hosted last year.

“Ralph’s is not a new idea,” Becker said. “The Fair Board was told to get out and beat the bushes for sponsors.”

Cary said everyone wants to see the Fair succeed. Becker suggested the county give the Fair $5,000 now to pay for necessary pre-event promotion and setting aside another $5,000 to help departments participate.

“Then make the remaining $15,000 matching funds,” Becker said.

At the Finance, Ways and Means Committee meeting two days later, Supervisor John A. Reinhardt (R – Oneida Wards 1-3), chairman of the committee; Supervisor Robert Kuiper (D – Hamilton) and Madison County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman/Supervisor Richard O. Bargabos (R – Smithfield) joined the discussion of how funding should be handled.

Cary said he felt any county contribution should be used strictly for the four-day Fair event and not for infrastructure or the site.

“A lot of the improvements they do are specifically to support the Fair,” Reinhardt said.

Miller said the facility has handicap accessibility issues, a need to bury utilities to accommodate larger mechanical rides and to improve restroom facilities.

Reinhardt said the matching funds arrangement would give the board the potential to raise $15,000 more than last year.

“For 35 years, it’s been helter-skelter,” Kuiper said. “I think it is a good move to provide them with some structure.”

“Improvements are improvements and will benefit the Fair,” Miller said.

Monforte, who is not a member of the Finance Committee, said the Fair Board is involved in a 365-day-a-year project.

“People are working on this all year,” Monforte said. “You may measure its success by a four-day event, but it’s more about supporting the people and the organization to take the Fair further down the road. I wouldn’t even try to get into the minutiae of its accounting.”

“Part of the problem for years is that the Brookfield Ag Society-Fair Board thumbed its noses at the Board [of Supervisors], 4-H, and people pulled out…participation declined,” Bargabos said. “They need some oversight. I spoke with Paul Fitzpatrick [of 4-H] and he said participants cited facilities as the prime complaint and their ability to adequately take care of large animals. I think that is a larger problem that is not likely to be taken care of anytime soon.”

Bargabos, who owns cattle, said it also is costly to transport large animals, and people are generally not doing it right now.

“The Fair wants 4-H to commit to coming, and 4-H wants the Fair to commit to improving its facilities,” Bargabos said, adding that the choice of whether to participate is up to each individual 4-H group in the county.

Monforte said he doesn’t believe the county should match just any contribution, only corporate cash donations.

“I disagree with Ralph,” Cary said. “Every person they approach, that is publicity for the Fair.”

Reinhardt said he agreed with Cary.

“I think we should help them and support them, but we should influence them to fund themselves differently,” Monforte said. “I say support the organization. You can pave, you can change the electrical, etc., but if the organization is not there, you’ve got nothing.”

Bargabos countered that the county ought to underwrite $10,000 of the fireworks, allowing the board to free that money up for other purposes.

“The additional $15,000 matching funds would be for capital projects,” Bargabos said. “I don’t care where the matching funds come from.”

Cary said he didn’t want the county to fund capital improvements.

Bargabos’s motion to amend the resolution was defeated; he said he would bring it to the full board.

“You guys are dirtying this up too much,” Bargabos said. “If you want departments there, tell them to go. Put it in their job description and make it required for them to be there.”

Editor’s note: The Courier asked three times during the two meetings whether in-kind contributions would be eligible for matching funds. No clear answer was forthcoming, but supervisors polled after both meetings said they would consider the value of non-cash contributions when distributing the funds.

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Committee Debates Fair Funding

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