LaPorte Fair OKs Financial Move
Published: Friday, February 16, 2018
Preliminary approval has been given to a proposed restructuring of the LaPorte County Fairgrounds to get the property back on solid financial footing and do some major upgrading.
The LaPorte County commissioners last Wednesday also decided unanimously to make sure all of the players involved understand the boundaries contained in the restructuring agreement before they take a final vote in April.
Under the agreement, a new not-for-profit corporation will assume control of the property from the fair board.
The fair board will continue running the fair and have first rights to the property in the weeks leading up to and after the fair.
The agreement also stipulates LaPorte County 4-H will be given top priority in scheduling future use of the facilities to avoid conflicts with the various activities 4-H hosts on the grounds throughout the year.
Fair board members and others involved with the fair, including volunteers at Pioneer Land, are worried the new governing body will interfere with their use of the property and how they operate the fair.
Over the next several weeks, the commissioners plan to get all of the stakeholders together and further go over the restructuring agreement so everyone involved fully understands it.
Another goal is to build trust.
LaPorte County commission President Rich Mrozinski said it's vital to have clear parameters outlined in the restructuring and everyone involved working together because the fair is run by volunteers.
He said some volunteers could step away if they feel their toes are being stepped on and leave the fair too shorthanded.
"We don't want anybody interfering with the other entity, especially the fair board. There's a lot of good people out there doing a lot of work that we never see or hear about, and we don't want to interfere with that. We don't want to derail them,'' Mrozinski said.
The restructuring was laid out in the fall as a condition for a $250,000 loan the county issued to the fair board in 2011 being forgiven.
The loan was used to extend sewer lines to the fairgrounds, but the fair board, due to financial troubles, wasn't able to keep up with the payments.
LaPorte County commissioner Dr. Vidya Kora said the main purpose of the restructuring is to ensure the fair continues to be strong and a source of enjoyment for everyone involved with the fair.
More events also benefit the local economy.
"I think it's a win, win for everybody,'' Kora said.
The not-for-profit group will consist of 11 people from the community, including elected officials along with current and former members of the fair board.
The plan is to hire a full-time manager to bring in more concerts and other major events year-round to the fairgrounds to generate revenue for needs like electrical and building upgrades on the property.
The fair board was staging more events like concerts, tractor pulls and pyrotechnics shows in recent years, but the volume and financial success was viewed as limited.
The commissioners will decide the fate of the restructuring because the fairgrounds is owned by the county, said LaPorte County attorney Doug Biege.
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