Fair Board: Keep state fairs in public hands

The Orange County Fair Board on Thursday agreed to draft a resolution that will express the board’s intent on maintaining state fairgrounds as public assets rather than privatized properties.

It will also state that the board is OK with restoring state funding for small- and medium-sized state fairs under Assembly Bill 2490, introduced by Assemblywoman Susan Eggman (D-Stockton).

The Orange County Fairgrounds are on state-owned land.

AB 2490 has been approved by both houses of the state Legislature and faces final approval by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Fairgrounds CEO Doug Lofstrom, after careful consideration and interviews with various parties, including local advocates who are critical of the bill, said his staff doesn’t believe what’s presented in AB 2490 presents anything “problematic” for Orange County.

If it did, “I would raise my hand immediately,” Lofstrom said, adding that “I’m comfortable that we’ve given this bill its due review.”

Fair directors said they didn’t agree with portions of the bill, but don’t want to come across too strongly against the legislators who approved it.

The board should be cautious about sending a negative letter to Brown on a bill that’s successfully gone through both houses, said Director Nick Berardino.

He called Eggman’s proposal “a well-intended bill” but a “slippery slope” nonetheless.

Director Gerardo Mouet called fairgrounds “sacred” properties that should remain publicly owned.

“I don’t know what is the best strategy for that … I know that this particular bill has been a very foggy thing,” he said.

Two members of the Orange County Fair Preservation Society, which contested the ultimately failed fairgrounds sale a few years ago, contended that Eggman’s legislation will again open the door to privatization efforts.

Theresa Sears said the bill invites “more corruption” as well as “insider dealing.”

“This is about the people’s asset,” Sears said. “These assets belong to the public.”

Sears’ colleague, Reggie Mundekis, noted that three of Orange County’s state legislators — Sen. Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana), Assemblyman Tom Daly (D-Anaheim) and Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton) — were against the bill.

“The right vote on this bill is a no vote,” Mundekis said.

While Sears and Mundekis supported the board’s resolution, both were critical that its decision was being brought up at the “eleventh hour.”

“Now it’s problematic because we’re discussing it and the governor could be signing it now,” Mundekis said.