Other LanguagesUnder Article VIII, § 7 of the Washington constitution it is not legal for a county which charges an admission fee for attendance at a fair conducted under RCW 36.37.010, et seq., to waive that charge for nonindigent persons attending the fair for no other consideration, primarily to be entertained rather than in the performance of some official function; it is, however, not illegal for fair officials, news reporters or others who are attending the fair for the benefit thereof in the performance of their employment functions and not merely to be entertained, to be allowed in without paying the usual admission charge.
Applicability of chapter 280, Laws of 1971, 1st Ex. Sess., to bingo, raffles, amusement games, to other gambling games, and to games of skill, when conducted as part of an agricultural fair.
(1) Those shows dealing with only a single subject, such as a flower show or a plowing match, do not by themselves constitute "agricultural fairs" so as to qualify for the allocation of state funds under the provisions of chapter 15.76 RCW.
(2) The director of Agriculture does not have the authority, under existing law, to allocate funds to a county or community with more than one qualifying agricultural fair and then allow the county or community to decide on how the money will be allocated between two or more fairs.
Expo '74, Inc. is not a state agency at the present time; however, to the extent that it receives public funds from, or otherwise transacts business with, the state or any of its agencies or municipal corporations, its records relative to such transactions are subject to examination by the state auditor.
Boards of county commissioners may: (1) acquire property by gift deed containing a reversionary clause and make permanent improvements thereon; (2) appropriate money from current funds for acquisition of grounds and construction of buildings in addition to annual maintenance appropriation; (3) may acquire fair grounds through long term lease and construct permanent improvements; (4) use funds raised by special levy or for bonds voted for construction of improvements on property leased for fair purposes.
(1) Use by private non-profit [[nonprofit]] corporation designated or employed by county commissioners of county land for fair purposes is a public purpose within the meaning of chapter 257, Laws of 1955. (2) The holding of fairs and agricultural exhibits is a matter incidental to agricultural purposes within the meaning of RCW 36.34.180. (3) The provisions of RCW 36.37.040 as amended by chapter 297, Laws of 1955 have no application to the purchase of the state fair grounds for public purposes under the provisions of chapter 257, Laws of 1955.
The director of agriculture may not distribute grants-in-aid from the pari-mutuel fund to a private non-profit [[nonprofit]] corporation conducting a fair. Exception: premiums and awards may be distributed to participants.