This Week with the Boone County Fair

The Boone County Fair has been happening since the American flag had only 24 stars. But this year, the fair happened at its new home in Sturgeon due to a falling out with the Boone County Commission.

Commissioners are set to approve new leasing agreements between the Central Missouri Events Center and Veterans United and UPS.

Fred Parry, who won the Republican nomination for county commission and is running against Democrat Brianna Lennon, is speaking out about the conflict between the fair board and the commission.

Perry says leasing deals between the county and the companies for the use of some of the property is nothing more than an attempt to “kick the can down the road for another three years.” Read Parry’s statement by clicking here.

The fair board president, Jeff Cook, says he has respect for both those companies, but as our guest for “This Week,” he says the arrangement complicates the possibility of the fair returning to the fairgrounds.

Here is our conversation on “This Week:”

Jeff Cook: In the agreement, we would have to sit down with those two companies and see what they would charge us to use the facilities that they rented. But on top of that, the county asked us to pay them ten thousand dollars on top of their lease to use the fair for one year. And for instance veterans united is renting the facilities for 1 year for thirty thousand dollars, and the commission is going to charge us ten thousand dollars for one week and that just doesn’t make sense. And so it’s hurtful but it’s also nice that Sturgeon has welcomed us back with open arms. They had no disagreement with us coming back, they called us two days after the fair, and welcomed us back for next year.

Joey Parker: What is your argument to the county commissioners to let you back in, and maybe reduce that fee, or is that an argument that you have?

Jeff Cook: This is our home, Columbia, we can’t beat the location that we have and the facilities that are out there. From my understanding when the county purchased the fairground from the fair board, we had a fifty year agreement. That we could use the fairgrounds for fifty years, and Boone electric had that agreement also. Boone electric has left because of the conditions of the facility and now we are kicked out. Last year they had no room for us here , and told us to go somewhere else. And the reason why is because if something were to come up. They did not want us in the way of any progress. Well now they have entered into a three year contract, and to me that is a bigger hurdle, that would just prolong progress for three years rather than us for one week.

Joey Parker: If you could, and the fair board could, wave a magic wand, what would be the outcome. How would you fix the problem?

Jeff Cook: If I could wave a magic wand, I would get the government out of the fair. I think the fair board needs to have full control of their own facility, like it used to be, and not have to answer to government politics. I think that would be the magic wand that I would wave.

Joey Parker: Is there any possibility of the fair board being able to come up with the resources to buy that property?

Jeff Cook: I mean there possibly could. We have a lot of supporters, you know, the fair has been in Columbia since 1835. There are a lot of families that have ties to the Boone County Fair, and it could be possible if that option was given to us, but we will try to do something.

Joey Parker: Jeff thank you very much for joining us. And it is good to have a dream…and you have to start somewhere.

Jeff Cook: Right. We all need to dream.

Joey: Yes, you do. See you next year at the fair.

Jeff: Alright. Thank you very much.