HERMANN – Gasconade County government will help finance security at this summer’s county fair with Owensville City Marshal Scott Griffith taking the lead role that has been played by a county sheriff for almost 40 years.

The decision to use county tax dollars — the exact amount won’t be known for a while, but it’s likely to be more than $7,000 — was made at last week’s session of the County Commission. The city of Owensville, through the Police Department funding, and the Fair Board will provide their shares of the cost.

For nearly the past four decades, the Sheriff’s Department has been responsible for recruiting personnel from other law enforcement agencies to bolster county deputies on the county fair security detail during fair week. While the county was responsible for security inside the fair’s fences, the city of Owensville provided security outside the fences, such as the parking lots and the streets.

Faced with increasing costs for security and midway entertainment, the Fair Board recently reached out to municipal and county governments for financial assistance.

The Owensville marshal proposed a security plan that would cost about $21,000 while Sheriff Scott Eiler’s proposal would cost about $26,000, which is larger than in past years. The more-expensive plan takes into account recent pay raises for sheriff’s deputies and other law enforcement personnel and related benefit expenses. Griffith acknowledged that his proposal didn’t include that and a final estimate from him would be close to the estimate offered by Eiler.

The Fair Board’s Annette Pfeiffer said it was 1989 when the Sheriff’s Department began handling security. “There has been a lot of give and take over the years,” she said, adding that Fair officials have been looking for other security options since 2016. “If we could get a three-way cost share, that would be wonderful,” she said.

The Fair Board will be getting that cost-share arrangement, even though Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R- Hermann, was reluctant to commit county dollars to the Fair, concerned that other significant events — such as Oktoberfest in Hermann and the Thresher Show in Rosebud — will follow the Fair Board’s lead and ask for assistance from the county.

Northern District Associate Commissioner Jim Holland, R-Hermann, said other requests for county support would have to be weighed individually.

“I’d say we have to take a look at that request when it gets here,” he said.

And even though it is not a part of county government, the Gasconade County Fair is seen by many people, including some county officials, as being a countywide event and worthy of county support for security.

“I do think it’s a countywide event,” said County Assessor Julia Baker. Concurring were Circuit Clerk Jennifer Schneider, County Treasurer Mike Feagan and Deputy County Collector Glenda Shockley.

The Owensville marshal said any agreement would be for one year only, with a discussion after the four-day fair with Fair Board members regarding the next year’s version.

Still skeptical, Schulte capped Thursday morning’s discussion with an emphatic request to Eiler. “I want you to track the costs like there ain’t no tomorrow,” he said, adding that he will study the expenses closely before deciding to endorse future county support.