Spending county fair windfall is up for discussion
By Terry Murry on Friday, March 18th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
UMATILLA COUNTY – The Oregon Legislature is sending federal funds earmarked for rural areas to county fairs throughout the state. Umatilla County Commissioner Dan Dorran said that the $1 million earmarked for this county’s fair is great, but it remains to be seen where it will be spent.
“Umatilla County is only one of two counties in the state that actually leases their fairgrounds,” he said. “There’s a long list of projects, but everybody’s going to have to sit down and have that discussion on how those monies are used, but first we need to know what the rules are.”
He said the last time the fair received funding from the state it was believed to be for infrastructure, but ended up being for operating expenses. That’s not to say he doesn’t want the funding.
“Are we happy about it,” he asked. “Yes, we’re ecstatic.”
