3 Accounting
3.10 Compliance
3.10.1 County Fair Operations
This guidance applies only to counties.
3.10.1.10 Management of fair operations
RCW 36.37.040 states in part:
"The board of county commissioners may employ persons to assist in the management of fairs or by resolution designate a nonprofit corporation as the exclusive agency to operate and manage such fairs."
3.10.1.20 Deposit of funds received by a county fair operation
All funds received by a county fair operation, such as allocated parimutuel funds, donations, and proceeds from the operation of the fair, must be properly deposited in the county treasury under the provisions of RCW 36.29.010 and RCW 36.29.020.
However, if the county has contracted with a nonprofit corporation as the exclusive agency to operate the county fair, funds would be received by the county in accordance with such contract and subject to audit under Chapter 43.09 RCW.
3.10.1.30 Establishment of fund to operate fair
At the option of the board of county commissioners, the county fair may be operated as a department within the general (current expense) fund or it may be operated as a separate County Fair Fund. If a fair fund is established and borrows from the general (current expense) fund, interfund loan procedures must be followed, except that no interest on the interfund loan needs to be charged.
Within the fund chosen for the operation of the fair, the board of county commissioners may authorize the county auditor to provide a revolving fund to be used by the fair officials for the conduct of the fair. The purpose of the revolving fund is to allow for immediate payment of premiums, casual labor and the many other items needed during the period the fair is being conducted without going through the formality of a warrant issue.
BARS Manual 3.8.8, Imprest, Petty Cash and Other Revolving Funds, contains the minimum requirements for the establishment and operation of a revolving fund. All those requirements apply except that a paid receipt or properly executed invoice voucher will not be required for premiums or prizes disbursed. A list of premium or prize winners, supplemented by entry records and certified by the fair board, will suffice to evidence expenditures for this purpose.