For the first time in 40 years, the fair won’t come to town.
Due to unpaid debts in 2009, the Alachua County Fair Association was denied the opportunity to renew the lease to manage the fairgrounds by the Alachua County Commission.
The nonprofit fair association also failed to submit a required application to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, spokesman Terry McElroy said.
The fair association has been dealing with financial problems since 2008.
In December, the Alachua County government put the fair association on notice, according to Assistant County Manager Rick Drummond.
“It became clear that they lost money on last year’s fair, and some vendors were not paid,” Drummond said.
In order for the fair association to use the fairgrounds, it needed a payment plan. One of the primary creditors was Gainesville Regional Utilities, who, according to Drummond, was owed more than $30,000. The debt with Gainesville Regional Utilities was settled, but others remain outstanding.
