EDITORIAL: County steps up to fund the State Fair’s move to G.I.

The push to fund the local commitment to bring the Nebraska State Fair to Grand Island received a substantial boost when the Hall County Board agreed to contribute $1 million to the effort. That gesture makes Hall County the first entity to make a contribution toward the $8.5 local obligation.

The supervisors should be congratulated for their vision in making the commitment. By being the first to step up and support the effort in a substantial manner, it showed the confidence they have in bringing the fair to Central Nebraska.

The county will fund its contribution in two ways. The first $500,000 will come via a levy increase from the Hall County Agricultural Society. The second half will come from Keno funds over a six year period.

The Ag Society, which operates the Hall County Fair, asked the supervisors to increase the levy to make improvements at Fonner Park, a request that needed to be made regardless of whether the State Fair was coming to Grand Island or not. Ag Society member Duane  Donaldson noted that the Big Red Barn is over 40 years old and needs improvements. Many others have noted the dreary concourse at Fonner Park. The concourse needs substantial updating to accommodate the many events that it hosts throughout the year. Its proximity to the Heartland  Events Center makes these improvements even more apparent.

The Ag society has never asked for property tax dollars to be used for capital improvements in its 53 year history. The ag society has relied on Fonner Park to handle the costs of maintenance and improvements. The taxpayers of Hall County have certainly been the recipients of Fonner Park's generosity over the decades. The same taxpayers will be the recipients of over $42 million in improvements to the Fonner Park campus. The entire facility will see major improvements that will position Fonner Park to be a more flexible and dynamic facility in the future.

The bottom line is that this signifies the first concrete commitment by any government entity to embrace the State Fair. The cost to the taxpayer because of this action will be about ten cents on the cost of a $100,000 home. A dime doesn't buy much these  days, but in this case, it helps secure the future of Fonner Park.

Grand Island is still grappling with its funding mechanisms for the State Fair, but the action by the county is good news to everyone involved in bringing the event to Grand Island.