Fair asking extension on county lease

The Jay County Fair Board is hoping to extend its lease on the county-owned portion of the Jay County Fairgrounds until 2050.

Fair board members Tom Zimmerman and Bob Lyons approached the Jay County Commissioners to seek an extension on the lease, which is currently valid until 2023. They said since several improvements have been made to the grounds, the fair board would like to see the arrangement extended.

"We want to do it longer than we last," Lyons said of the lease, which will likely outlive him.

"We can do a written extension," said attorney George Lopez, informing the commissioners that the process would be simple once the contract was located.

The fairgrounds were originally leased by the county to the Jay County Agricultural Company, which was succeeded by the fair board, in 1874. In 1959, the contract was extended until April 2023.

The county-owned section of the fairgrounds is approximately 40 acres. It is located south of Abromsom Drive, which runs east-west just north of the 4-H Building.

The commissioners noted the benefit of the annual fair and the work done to upkeep the grounds and saw no issue with extending the contract.

Lopez said he would draft an extension and that it should be ready for next week's meeting.[[In-content Ad]]