Gasconade County government is being asked to help shoulder the cost of funding security at the Gasconade County Fair under a plan that also involves Owensville and Fair Board money.

In a sometimes-pointed discussion, Fair Board representatives Nick Nolting and Tom Lahmeyer Thursday morning formally asked county government to play a role in funding the increasing cost of security at the summer event.

Whether county taxpayer dollars are used or not — at this point, the county’s top administrator is firmly opposed to the idea — it appears the security inside the fences of the fair is about to change hands. For almost the past 40 years, the Gasconade County Sheriff’s Department has provided personnel to keep the peace inside the fences while the Owensville Police Department assigned its members to security outside the fairgrounds, such as patrolling the parking areas.

But Owensville Marshal Scott Griffith has presented the Fair Board with a less-expensive plan for security. Coming in at $21,000, the Police Department’s plan is about $5,000 less than the plan presented by Sheriff Scott Eiler. The cost of security last year was $17,170 and in 2024 it was $13,200.

“It’s hard for us to sustain that” increasing cost, said Nolting.

The Fair Board members cited increasing operating costs, such as the expense of the carnival company going from $23,000 to $55,000, as an example of why they need help in meeting the security expense. They base their argument in large part on the fact that the fair is a countywide endeavor. Lahmeyer pointed out that in recent years the fair queen has been a Hermann girl, showing that the event is not an Owensville-specific activity.

Nolting echoed that argument. “This is a countywide event,” he said. “There’s no reason we all shouldn’t have a fight in this. Why can’t we come to some happy medium? We would like to see a cost-share program,” he added.

But Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann, voiced concern about committing county tax dollars to an event this is not formally tied to county government. He also pointed to other major expenses county government is facing.

“Right now, we’re paying $261,000 for a murder trial,” he said, referring to the capital murder case of Kenneth Lee Simpson, which was held in Franklin County and involved a jury of Greene County residents. The entire process of the trial — from jury selection to sentencing — initially was projected to last about six weeks. That amount of time made Gasconade County officials nervous about the final bill they would be receiving from Franklin County. It took only four days to select a jury and alternates and four days for testimony before the jury found Simpson guilty. It took another three days of testimony for the penalty phased and then two days for the jury to return a death sentence recommendation. The case officially won’t be concluded at the county level until formal sentencing, which is set for June 12.

Franklin County will pay the bills once they all are in; that county then will seek reimbursement from Gasconade County, which is ultimately responsible because the case originated in Gasconade County.

“We’ve got 400 miles of roadway” to maintain, Schulte added, giving another example of a large cost to county taxpayers. “I’m not willing to throw money at this,” he said, referring to fair security.

Southern District Associate Commissioner Ron Hardecke, R-Owensville, is leaning toward county support.

“We’d love to see the Fair Board and everybody come together on this,” he said. “I think we have an obligation to help because it is a countywide event. Let’s do a little research and see what we can do.”

Indeed, Northern District Associate Commissioner Jim Holland, R-Hermann, said he wants to talk with other area counties about what role if any their governments play in helping fund security at their fairs. After closely listening to the arguments made by the Fair Board representatives, county officials and Owensville Mayor Kevin McFadden and City Administrator Randy Blaske, Holland said: “I’ll reserve my judgment until I talk to the surrounding counties.”

McFadden pointed out that a decision on fair security is not one quickly reached.

“There are a lot of moving parts” to the process, he said, such as the time it takes for either the city marshal or county sheriff to put together a roster of law enforcement personnel to work during the fair.

“This needs to be resolved quickly,” said Eiler.

“We will need to hire by May,” Griffith said.

Holland said he thinks he could obtain the information he needs from adjacent counties fairly quickly. The issue of fair security could be taken up at tomorrow’s session of the County Commission.

Commissioners are scheduled to be in session starting at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 12 in Hermann at the courthouse.