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Kosciusko County Fair Association is requesting another $50,000 from the county council for capital improvements to the fairgrounds in 1997.
The money would be used mostly for repairs to the antiquated electrical system at the fairgrounds, Joe Gorman, volunteer consultant for the fair board, told the council.
The amount needed for the electrical work is about half what was originally estimated, Gorman said, because Kosciusko County REMC will donate approximately $34,000 for labor costs.
The fair board also needs to work on roads, heating and ventilation equipment, Gorman said, but the electrical system is the top priority.
County council appropriated $50,000 to the fair association for 1996, and Gorman's report to the council included a breakdown on how that money was spent.
The 1996 county fair was a success: "Certainly we are a ... lot healthier than we were last year," he said, but a great deal of work remains to be done.
Also putting in their requests for 1997 funds were the Kosciusko County Youth Shelter, for $35,000, unchanged over last year; Cardinal Center, for $80,000, the same as last year; Kosciusko County Historical Society, for $32,000, which would be spent mostly on preserving records dating back to before the Civil War; Kosciusko County Council on Aging and Aged, $37,000, mostly for Mobile Meals; and The Beaman Home, $23,000, an increase of $4,000 over 1996.
The council also approved County Commissioner Eddie Creighton's request to create a position of GIS coordinator for the county. The coordinator would be in charge of the new Geographic Imaging System the county is installing, and would report directly to the commissioners.
County council will meet in the courthouse at 6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday next week to discuss the 1997 budget.
