Columbiana County Fair group to elect officers

By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Once elected to the Columbiana County Agricultural Society Board, Debbie Wolf quickly learned that with the office came much more responsibility than she thought.
"The experience was a real eye opener," she said. "The fair is a week long, and I thought we'd start meeting about a month before that. I was wrong. Being on the board is a 12-month commitment."
The primary responsibility of the 12-member board is to oversee operation of the Columbiana County Fair and to manage its proceeds, Wolf said. The responsibility extends to all activities at the fairgrounds, not just fair events.
Board members serve three-year terms, which are staggered. The terms of four members will expire in December, and on Wednesday the agricultural society members will elect four from among nine candidates.
In the running are incumbents Elmer Zimmerman, Fairfield Township; Donald McCoy, Middleton Township; and Don Humphrey Jr., Hanover Township.
Also seeking the soon-to-be vacant seats are Robert Stark, Salem Township; Kim Rankin, Fairfield Township; Amanda Moore, Franklin Township; Scott Judy, Salem Township; Doug Cooper, Hanover Township; Donna Adams, Washington Township.
Lots of work
Wolf is no longer a board member, but her husband is. She said he spends a lot of time working at the fairgrounds, as do other board members.
"John's an electrician, so there's always something to do," she said. "The board members spend a lot of time working at the fairgrounds to save labor costs."
Wolf said any county resident can join the agricultural society for $1. This close to the election, however, anyone who wants to join must now wait until next year's fair to do so.
The society accepts members starting the first day of the fair, through 15 days before the board elections, Wolf said.
During the fair, anyone who'd like to serve on the fair board must collect signatures from society members to be eligible to run.
"There's a lot to do," she said. "The fair board has the responsibility of overseeing all the activities at the fairgrounds, and see that maintenance such as building repairs or mowing are taken care of and paid for. The board also has to pay taxes on the fairgrounds property.
"A lot of people are surprised that we pay property taxes on the fairgrounds," she said. "It's privately owned by the agricultural society. It's not public land."
Current agricultural society members may vote from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the commercial building on the fairgrounds.
tullis@vindy.com