Richland County fair committee hears finance report showing revenue shortfall, rising maintenance costs

Lianna, the fair’s finance director, told the Richland County Fair Committee on Dec. 1 that fair revenue for 2025 through November totaled about $102,000 compared with a budgeted $126,000, and year-to-date expenses were roughly $156,000 against a $144,000 budget.

The shortfall left the fund “upside down,” Lianna said, explaining that the variance reflected lower-than-expected gate and grandstand receipts and a spike in maintenance costs. “For 2025 revenue, you brought in $102,000. Your budget was $126,000,” Lianna said during her presentation. She also flagged a maintenance payout of $11,007.80 in November and a prepaid cost that may require an additional charge-off of about $2,700 to clean up the books.

The report emphasized several major revenue lines — exhibitor fees, carnival income and grandstand receipts — while noting that gate revenue in recent years had ranged as high as $40,000 when admission was charged. Committee members recounted that a decision to reduce or eliminate gate admission in prior years lowered collections and shifted more revenue to taxed grandstand receipts and other sources.

Members discussed options to reduce the gap, including restoring a modest gate fee. Lianna said a small admission — “maybe 5” dollars — could be acceptable to the public while recouping revenue, and she offered to provide detailed line-item breakdowns and year-over-year comparisons to inform a longer-term budget strategy. Committee members also asked staff to provide the 2026 budget projection and a vendor-level breakdown for the maintenance overage.

The committee agreed that the fair is a community service that may not operate as a business but noted responsibilities to be fiscally prudent. Lianna recommended developing 3- to 5-year or 10-year capital-improvement scenarios and offered to prepare scenario budgets for board review.

Next steps: staff will provide a detailed maintenance invoice breakdown, clarify the donations account and deliver the finalized 2026 budget assumptions and capital planning options to the committee ahead of the next meeting.