PORT TOWNSEND — The possible loss of up to $30,000 through a state Department of Agriculture cut that Gov. Chris Gregoire has proposed could be devastating for the Jefferson County Fair, a longtime fairgrounds leader said.
Gregoire proposed the cut in her supplemental budget request for July 2010 – July 2011, released last week. In it — among massive cuts for health, education and welfare — she proposes suspending state fair funding to all fairs for one year only, in 2011.
The governor’s proposal would not become reality unless the state Legislature, which convenes in January, approves it.
Also, Gregoire said that she does not support her own proposal.
By law, it is a plan that balances the state budget — filling a $2.6 billion deficit — using only available revenue streams.
The governor plans to release a second proposal in January that would include tax increases to reinstate some programs.
If the proposed cut of fair funds becomes a reality, it could be fatal for the Jefferson County Fair, said Sue McIntyre, county fair board treasurer and office manager at the fairgrounds in Port Townsend.
“We couldn’t keep going if that happens,” she said.
Heather Hansen, the lobbyist for the Washington State Fairs Association, said that the Department of Agriculture has been saving money, from interest generated on funds, for the last couple of years in anticipation of possible cuts.
The money it has in reserve would soften the effect on fairs if the governor’s proposal goes through.
“The governor’s proposal wouldn’t take away all money to fairs, but it would be a dramatic cutback,” Hansen said.
“It would cause the allocation to be reduced to each fair by approximately 50 percent,” she said.
The money to the fairs is distributed by the state Department of Agriculture each March.
Prize money, entertainment
The Jefferson County Fair expected $30,000 for 2010. The money from the state pays for premiums, or prize money, given to winning exhibitors at the county fair each year, and for entertainment, McIntyre said.
McIntyre sent word out last week through the fair’s Facebook.com social networking wall.
“Jefferson County Fairgrounds Help! Just received an e-mail saying that the governor proposes to suspend the Fair Fund for one year SEmD 2011,” the message said.
“I don’t know what will happen to the Jefferson County Fair if this happens.”
She urged concerned Jefferson County residents to contact their state lawmakers and “let them know that this is not a good option.”
The state money represents about 27 percent of the $110,000 that was budgeted for the annual fair in 2010.
Affects all fairs
Hansen emphasized that the cut would affect all fairs. She said that the cut in funds could hit the state 4-H and FFA fairs, which are held in conjunction with the annual Western Washington state fair in Puyallup, especially hard, perhaps drastically decreasing the premiums paid to 4-H and FFA exhibitors.
“It’s particularly hard on small fairs because they do depend on that allocation much more than larger fairs,” she said.
“Kids in the area could be hit extremely hard because they really depend on that money.”
McIntyre said other funding options, to make up the difference for premiums and entertainment, are unknown at this point.
McIntyre, whose husband, Bill McIntyre, is fair board president and helps maintain fairgrounds facilities, said that the lack of the money could mean fewer exhibitors, 4-H children losing opportunities to raise and show farm animals, and a dramatic slide in attendance because the fair could not afford a strong main act to draw visitors.
Exhibitors
The Jefferson County Fair saw a total of 469 exhibitors — with a total of 4,000 entries — last August compared to 432 exhibitors — with a total of 3,298 entries — in 2008. It paid out $13,000 in premiums in 2009 compared to $10,000 in 2008.
In 2009, the fair paid $3,675 to 140 4-H exhibitors with 1,483 entries. The fair paid $166 in premiums to nine FFA exhibitors with 42 entries.
A blue ribbon for a cow can bring an exhibitor a $30 premium, McIntyre said, for example.
The better-known entertainment acts cost more. The Kingsmen, who performed two years ago as the Jefferson County Fair’s main act, cost $12,000.
“Unfortunately, that’s what brings people in,” McIntyre said of entertainment allocations.
She also raised concern about a Gregoire proposal to eliminate the state fair commissioners.
Fair commissioners are not paid, but receive reimbursement from the state for their expenses as they travel to evaluate fairs.
“Their evaluation is part of the formula to help figure funding,” McIntyre said.
Clallam County
The Clallam County Fair receives about $38,000 annually from the state, according to Craig Jacobs, Clallam County Public Works director, and Joel Winborn, county division manager of parks, fair and facilities.
That’s about 12.7 percent of a $300,000 budget.
At least 50 percent of the state money goes into premiums paid to people who exhibit at the fair, they said, and losing the state funding would be “a substantial loss.”
“We’ll be taking a look at the possible impacts to our fair as well as areas that we may possibly need to look at for cuts if this actually becomes a reality,” Winborn said.
Said Jacobs: “The simple answer is that we’d pay back less in premiums, but that’s not necessarily what we would do.
“We’d have to look at that. There are lots of different scenarios.”
Other programs
Among other programs targeted for elimination in the governor’s proposed budget are the $160 million Basic Health Plan, which provides health care coverage to nearly 65,000 individuals; the $11 million Apple Health program, which provides health care coverage to 16,000 low-income children; and the $188 million General Assistance Unemployable program, which provides cash grants for 23,000 adults and medical services to nearly 17,000 adults.
Funding would be eliminated for levy equalization, which provides extra support to public school districts with property tax bases that are lower than average; the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program; and the kindergarten through fourth-grade staffing enhancement to reduce class size.
Among the proposed reductions proposed are $146 million from the State Need Grant program, which provides 12,300 students with grants, and $89 million for the state’s community and technical colleges and baccalaureate institutions.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
Managing Editor Leah Leach contributed to this story.
