NEWS RELEASE

The Williamson County Fair Board is asking for the support of the voters and taxpayers of Williamson County in an attempt to obtain funding for the preservation of the "oldest continuous running fair in Illinois".

An Illinois statute provides for the following proposition to be presented to the voters during the Illinois primary election February 5, 2008.

Shall the Williamson County Fair Board be allowed a tax (not to exceed .03 percent) of the value as assessed by the Department of Revenue, of all taxable property in Williamson County for the purpose of preserving our 150 year old County Fair Heritage?

The passage of the referendum would provide a source of funding for the upkeep and maintenance of the fairgrounds including repair and/or replacement of aging buildings.

The funds generated by the passage of the referendum would be deposited in an account to be managed by the Williamson County Board of Commissioners. The fair board would submit requests to the Board of Commissioners for funds to be designated for prospective projects.

At the present time the majority of operating funds for the Williamson County Fair comes from proceeds generated during the annual summertime event. A portion of the premiums paid for the competitive evens at the fair is provided by the Illinois Department of Agriculture. During the past few years, premium accounts have been reduced significantly by the state of Illinois thereby significantly reducing the amount of funding the county fair receives.

The tax proposed by the Fair Board is .03 percent. On property valued at $50,000 the amount of tax generated by this referendum would be approximately $5. The proposed tax would not be assessed until 2009.

In 2008, the Williamson County Fair will celebrate its 152nd year of existence. It is hailed as the "oldest continuous running fair in Illinois" - continually running in times of both war and peace. As the importance of agriculture is diminishing not only in the state, but also in the nation, traditions that exist because of the importance of agriculture are falling by the wayside. The Williamson County Fair Board has strived for years to keep the Williamson County fair tradition a part of the county's history and will continue to do so for as long possible. Monies provided by the passage of this referendum would make it possible to maintain this fair well into the future.

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