Bolado executive warns of demise to grounds’ events
The San Benito County Fair and its fairgrounds might not survive
the rest of the year if Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed budget gets
approved, Bolado Park’s chief executive warned this week.
Stipulated in the budget, Brown calls for an elimination of all
fair funding. It would effectively cut $200,000
– or 40 percent – of the county’s fair’s total budget, the
fair’s Chief Executive Officer Kelley Ferreira said. He contended
the cut would cause the fair’s downfall.
Bolado executive warns of demise to grounds’ events
The San Benito County Fair and its fairgrounds might not survive the rest of the year if Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed budget gets approved, Bolado Park’s chief executive warned this week.
Stipulated in the budget, Brown calls for an elimination of all fair funding. It would effectively cut $200,000 – or 40 percent – of the county’s fair’s total budget, the fair’s Chief Executive Officer Kelley Ferreira said. He contended the cut would cause the fair’s downfall.
“If they cut it, we are done,” Ferreira said in an interview with the Pinnacle.
Ferreira still is optimistic that such a projected downfall of the 86-year-old fair might be premature, because fairs throughout the state return enough money back in terms of tax revenue to prevent the cuts, he added.
In the event cuts do go forward, Ferreira said fair officials are actively looking at other alternatives for funding sources. They could end up scrambling to sustain such traditions as 4-H clubs and the Saddle Horse Show & Rodeo.
“There are plans, and we are going to move forward,” he said. “We don’t plan on going anywhere.”
The cuts are part of Brown’s $12.5 billion budget cut that also targets the university and state school system, among other programs. The $32 million proposed cut to the county fair system would affect the state’s general fund.
Bolado Park is one of 78 fairs throughout the state, and the county grounds operate year round with hundreds of activities, including the San Benito County Saddle Horse Show & Rodeo, fundraisers, and the actual three-day fair the first weekend in October.
“We always have something going,” Ferreira said. “We are open 365 days a year.”
The large budget cut also would dampen the funding resources for the Saddle Horse Show & Rodeo that is put on each June, Second Vice President Mark Skow said.
“It would be pretty devastating for us,” he said. “If it happened, we could be dead in the water.”
The show receives around $40,000 from the state yearly, Skow said. At this time, the show’s board of directors hasn’t had discussions about trying to find other sources of funding beyond this year.
The show already has its funding for this year’s event.
The fairgrounds closure would have a major effect on local student organizations such as the 4-H program and Future Farmers of America. Both programs use the three-day fair to promote projects and student-raised animals.
“It would have a huge impact on our kids,” San Benito High School FAA adviser Kelly Bianchi said. “We would have nowhere to market our animals.”
Bianchi said they would have to find other ways to allow students to finish their FAA projects.
“Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that,” she said.
The 4-H club is also wondering about the health of its own program, which is facing additional cuts because of its connection with University California, Davis, farm advisor Bill Coates said. The county’s 4-H club is part of the UC Davis Cooperative Extension program.
“We expect to be still here, but at this point we don’t know what changes we will have to make,” he said.
As part of the UC system, the budget calls for cuts of around $.5 billion – one-sixth of the system’s entire budget.
Coates acknowledged off-site programs, such as the Cooperative Extension, would be the first to be cut.
“The priorities of the universities are going to be the teachers and on-campus research.”
Around 70 percent of the Cooperative Extension’s budget comes from the universities, Coates said. Overall, the yearly budget is around $300,000.
The local 4-H chapter has more than 250 student member and 100 adult leaders, Coates said.
Whatever happens over the next few months, the impact won’t be know for some time, Coates said.
“Things in this budget are going to affect California, the counties, the cities, the schools – everyone,” he said. “It’s lean times for everyone.”
Listed as a class 1 fair – one of seven classes ranging from the smallest (1) to the largest (7) – its average budget is around $500,000 per year with an average generated income of $300,000, Ferreira said. There are three full-time workers, including Ferreira, and the fair has more than 60 volunteers helping throughout the year.
Class 7 fairs include the Del Mar Fair and the Orange County Fair, Ferreira said. The amount of funding received by the state depends on the population size of the county.
The state, as of two years ago, has funded the county fairs with $32 million per year. Previously, county fairs were funded through income from horse racing.
Despite the threatened cut of funds, Ferreira doesn’t expect a return to the old funding mechanism because of decreasing revenue, he said.
“It won’t be looked at as another source of funding,” he said.
The governor’s proposed budget will threaten the elimination of at least 31 fairs throughout the state, including San Benito County, Ferreira said. County fairs are a $3 billion industry that brings over $100 million in sales tax revenue to the state.
The 2011 San Benito County Fair is scheduled for Sept. 30 to Oct. 2.
