This topic may not seem interesting to many but if you have a growing county, as most of us do in Idaho, and you know the location of your county fairgrounds, you may not know that the operation, location and management of your fairground is not guaranteed no matter what county you live in? Why would the operation, location or management of a county’s fairground change? It has everything to do with legislation and population.
Let’s start with some background. Idaho created legislative code for county fairs back in 1929. You can find it under Title 22 statutes on Agriculture and Horticulture, Chapter 2 – County Fair Boards.
County Fair Boards were originally created for the purpose of conducting county fairs. Over time that significantly changed. These boards are now administrative as well as regulatory. They are charged with the care and custody of all the property belonging to the county fairgrounds and are responsible for all business conducted therein. The board is required to conduct regular business meetings that are open to the public. They must create proper records of their meetings as well as business transactions. Once a year they are required to post a summary of receipts and disbursements in the Legal section of your local newspaper. If you live in Kootenai county that report was posted in the CDA Press on 11/15/2024. Additionally, you should be able to find a Fair Fund Summary in your county’s budget report. For two years in a row now, Kootenai county’s fair has levied no taxes on county taxpayers. It’s busy 365 days out of a year. A lot goes on at county fairgrounds throughout the year.
Some more FYI on county fair boards. They will either be 5-member or 7-member board. If they are a 5-member board they will have 3 year staggering terms. If it's a 7-member board they will have 4 year staggering terms. Terms end or begin on the 3rd Monday of January. The Board of County Commissioners appoint the Fair Board members.
For folks living in Kootenai county their current fairgrounds started out with 110 acres. It is now down to 83 acres. It’s been in its current location over 70 years. It hasn’t had any new construction on its site for at least 30 years. It needs some new buildings. It does have space to expand at its current site. However, once the county population exceeds 200,000 the county commissioners can create an ordinance to take over the administrative and regulatory function of the County Fair Board and downgrade the powers of the County Fair Board to advisory status only. So, this means, once the county population exceeds 200,000 the BOCC can affect the operation, location and management of a county’s fairgrounds. Counties with populations less than 200,000 the BOCC has budgeting and appointment powers only.
In Kootenai county it looks like 2025 will be the year the population will exceed 200,000. Does this mean that the county commissioners will take over the function of the County Fair Board? They don’t have to, but they can. This year (2024) Kootenai County’s BOCC would not agree to the County Fair Board’s request of a 50-year lease at the current location. Instead, they agreed to a 20-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). A MOU signifies intent, but it is not legally binding. In other words, no guarantee. Without a guarantee of location or management, obtaining funds for new structures or upgrades are exceedingly difficult.
The current Kootenai county fairground location is prime real estate. If one were to try to relocate and create a comparable facility how much would that cost? Numbers bandied about have been between $500,000,000 or $600,000,000 in today’s dollars. Does that number include a self-contained sewage system? Where, over the aquifer, would the fair be located? How will a different location affect 4-H-ers and other Ag folk's ability to participate in the annual county fair? What would happen to the current 83 acres?
In 2025 we will have a new county commissioner and expect our population to exceed 200,000. Canyon county’s population is greater than 200,000. They no longer have an administrative county fair board. Will Kootenai county go that route? Is a MOU a band-aid, easy to rip off? Looks like we shall have to wait and see. Stay tuned.
