JASPER, Tenn. - The Marion County Fair is struggling financially, and its representatives are asking for the county's help.
At the Marion County Commission's August meeting, Sam Anderson, a spokesman for the Marion County Fair, asked county leaders for "some assistance" in conducting the event.
This year, the county fair will be held on Sept. 27-29. It has been whittled down to three days from the typical five-day event.
"It would be great if we could have a permanent building," Anderson said. "Other counties cover the insurance for the fair. I don't know if that's a possibility here, but that would be a big help to us."
He said organizers recently sent letters to businesses encouraging them get booths.
"From all of those letters that we mailed out and the calls and the personal visits, we have eight businesses coming this year for exhibits," Anderson said.
When organizers asked the South Pittsburg City Commission for a financial donation earlier this month, no city leaders offered a motion to do so.
So far, the county fair has gotten just over $5,000 in sponsorship funding to put on this year's event, but costs for utility bills, advertising, insurance, tent rentals, security, sound equipment, port-a-potty rentals, decorations and cash prizes for competitions drain that money quickly.
Last year, the fair netted only $374 after all the bills were paid, Anderson said.
"Our question to you is: What can you do to help us?" he told the board.
That question was met with an extended moment of silence from county leaders.
Commission Chairman Gene Hargis suggested the fair organizers put together a detailed proposal for the board's finance committee to consider.
Hargis said the finance committee would need "some dollar signs" and "some hard figures" before it could consider any options or make any recommendations to the full board.
In other business, the board unanimously voted to pay Upland Design Group in Crossville, Tennessee, $16,500 to plan an addition for the county jail.
Sheriff Ronnie "Bo" Burnett said the county must show the state a plan of action to relieve jail overcrowding to keep its certification for another year.
The additional "pod" would add 60 beds and house female prisoners.
Burnett said he must meet with state officials on Wednesday to discuss the county's plan.
"They'll probably certify us for another year, but they're really hammering me about being overcrowded," he said.
Some inmates are sleeping on the floor at the 118-bed facility, which is now holding 145 prisoners, Burnett said.
Hargis, who works for the Marion County Sheriff's Department, said when the jail was originally designed an area was set aside for future expansion.
Jail populations were once vastly male, he said, but that is changing rapidly.
"It's females now," Hargis said. "You've got everywhere a lot of incarcerated females, and they just keep piling in every day."
Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.