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Is ownership ‘fair’ game?
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| A hot dog stand is situated on the Columbia County Fairgrounds. The property technically belongs to Columbia County Resources, but if the complex owned by CCR were to dissolve it would then belong to county taxpayers. JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter |
Fairgrounds is owned by private company or county taxpayers.
By JEFF M. HARDISON
jhardison@lakecityreporter.com
Who owns the Columbia County Fairgrounds? Depends on who ponders the question.
The property is either publicly owned by the taxpayers of Columbia County or owned by Columbia County Resources (CCR). A debate about the property’s ownership began after a story on the property in the Sunday issue of the Lake City Reporter.
Columbia County Manager Dale Williams said he believes the 75 acres of the Columbia County Fairgrounds is public property.
Williams had said county engineers gave a cursory review of land for a potential trade with a developer. Williams said he based his assertion that the land is public on the fact that the fairgrounds property reverts to the people of the county if CCR ever disbands, and on the law which allows the county to help the fair.
CCR President Steve Briscoe said that not only does the CCR board of directors oversee the fairgrounds property, but CCR owns the property. Therefore it is private property, Briscoe said, because CCR is a private non-profit corporation. CCR has not disbanded in 55 years and he predicts it will not disband in the future.
The other officers and directors of CCR are Vice President Lamar Boozer; Secretary-Treasurer Wanda Jones; and directors Dale Peeler, Gator Moore, Bob Smith, Mike Nelson and Jimmy Sparks.
As a non-profit, private corporation, the organization pays no taxes on the property, according to records. The fairgrounds are valuable. The current appraised value is $6 million, according to county records.
The fairgrounds are listed in four pieces, according to records in the office of Columbia County Property Appraiser J. Doyle Crews, and CCR is listed as the owner. The typical asking price for any property is significantly higher than the appraised value shown by county property appraisers.
Briscoe points out that CCR does not depend on donations, nor does it use local, state or federal taxes for funding. Briscoe said CCR is totally self-funded by events it hosts and property it leases to outside vendors.
If CCR decided it was in the best interest to relocate the county fairgrounds, then
the county could help CCR by spending taxpayers’ money on engineering, Williams said, because he considered the fairgrounds as public property.
Williams added that beyond the property going to the people if CCR disbanded, there is law to allow the county to assist the fair. This is not possible with a different private business, he said.
The question of county engineering resulted from a note from the Lake City-Columbia County Chamber to a potential developer.
“The county has agreed to assist Columbia County Resources Inc. in relocating to another site,” the note said. “The county has already enlisted the services of an engineer to assist in this process. The county has agreed to make these efforts as this site is one of the largest parcels remaining within the county business corridor that would support the large retail project that you have proposed.”
CCR is a valid non-profit corporation, according to RoseAnn Varnadore, senior section administrator in the office of Florida Secretary of State Alex Sink. The last event filed by CCR was its annual report on May 21, and that action keeps the corporation active for one more year, Varnadore said.
CCR board members are custodians for the fairgrounds. They are stewards of the property, Briscoe said. The property belongs to the corporation — not to the taxpayers, he said. This is a misperception that is common, he said.
Williams concedes that people mistakenly call the County Commission office when they have a problem with the fairgrounds, and it is the CCR who deals with any issues.
The property is either publicly owned by the taxpayers of Columbia County or owned by Columbia County Resources (CCR). A debate about the property’s ownership began after a story on the property in the Sunday issue of the Lake City Reporter.
Columbia County Manager Dale Williams said he believes the 75 acres of the Columbia County Fairgrounds is public property.
Williams had said county engineers gave a cursory review of land for a potential trade with a developer. Williams said he based his assertion that the land is public on the fact that the fairgrounds property reverts to the people of the county if CCR ever disbands, and on the law which allows the county to help the fair.
CCR President Steve Briscoe said that not only does the CCR board of directors oversee the fairgrounds property, but CCR owns the property. Therefore it is private property, Briscoe said, because CCR is a private non-profit corporation. CCR has not disbanded in 55 years and he predicts it will not disband in the future.
The other officers and directors of CCR are Vice President Lamar Boozer; Secretary-Treasurer Wanda Jones; and directors Dale Peeler, Gator Moore, Bob Smith, Mike Nelson and Jimmy Sparks.
As a non-profit, private corporation, the organization pays no taxes on the property, according to records. The fairgrounds are valuable. The current appraised value is $6 million, according to county records.
The fairgrounds are listed in four pieces, according to records in the office of Columbia County Property Appraiser J. Doyle Crews, and CCR is listed as the owner. The typical asking price for any property is significantly higher than the appraised value shown by county property appraisers.
Briscoe points out that CCR does not depend on donations, nor does it use local, state or federal taxes for funding. Briscoe said CCR is totally self-funded by events it hosts and property it leases to outside vendors.
If CCR decided it was in the best interest to relocate the county fairgrounds, then
the county could help CCR by spending taxpayers’ money on engineering, Williams said, because he considered the fairgrounds as public property.
Williams added that beyond the property going to the people if CCR disbanded, there is law to allow the county to assist the fair. This is not possible with a different private business, he said.
The question of county engineering resulted from a note from the Lake City-Columbia County Chamber to a potential developer.
“The county has agreed to assist Columbia County Resources Inc. in relocating to another site,” the note said. “The county has already enlisted the services of an engineer to assist in this process. The county has agreed to make these efforts as this site is one of the largest parcels remaining within the county business corridor that would support the large retail project that you have proposed.”
CCR is a valid non-profit corporation, according to RoseAnn Varnadore, senior section administrator in the office of Florida Secretary of State Alex Sink. The last event filed by CCR was its annual report on May 21, and that action keeps the corporation active for one more year, Varnadore said.
CCR board members are custodians for the fairgrounds. They are stewards of the property, Briscoe said. The property belongs to the corporation — not to the taxpayers, he said. This is a misperception that is common, he said.
Williams concedes that people mistakenly call the County Commission office when they have a problem with the fairgrounds, and it is the CCR who deals with any issues.
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To Jeff wrote on Jul 2, 2008 10:38 AM:
I do believe it is more important to have a place to shop than with our local merchants! We don't need anything else in this community to provide past times for families and children...let them find their own! "