Richland County fair committee approves ad for part‑time fair support, hears finances showing a modest deficit

The Richland County Fair Committee voted Wednesday to advertise a 20‑hour‑per‑week LTE fair administration support position as staff outlined the fair’s recent finances and staffing needs.

Staff presented a three‑year comparison of fair revenues and expenditures and said the most recent report shows an $8,701 deficit. Staff also reported $15,276.54 in storage revenue for the year and said the operation had to turn away some large items toward the end of the season. The presenter said payroll pauses late in the year reduced the otherwise larger deficit.

Committee members pressed staff for more detailed line‑item data; staff said the full packet would be emailed to members who lacked online access and that they would provide itemized explanations on request. The committee discussed using partnerships and other revenue opportunities to offset costs, and staff acknowledged the fair was “in the red” in current accounting.

On staffing, members reviewed a proposed parks and trails maintenance worker job rated at pay grade G, with a starting hourly rate of $22.92 at step 3 and a top step 8 rate of $25.47. Staff said the role includes HVAC and construction experience so the county can perform some maintenance in‑house rather than contracting the work.

Separately, committee members discussed a proposed 20‑hour/week LTE project coordinator position (previously grade F), with a showed pay range of $20.90–$23.22 per hour; the committee agreed the fair’s workload (vendors, judges, publicity and contracts) requires prompt hiring. A motion to advertise the position was made and seconded and the committee voted to proceed.

What’s next: staff will advertise the LTE position, involve the fair chair and vice chair (and oversight staff) in candidate selection, and return to the committee with more detailed financial line items and vendor cost estimates at the February meeting.