KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. — Kenosha County spent more than $43,000 in taxpayer money on contracted flaggers during the Kenosha County Fair this year, a county spokesperson confirmed, prompting questions from some residents about why taxpayers were responsible for such a large expense connected to one of the area’s biggest annual events.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
“Is it accurate that, at a time when Kenosha County is hemorrhaging employees due to worsening wages and benefits, Kenosha County spent $40k of taxpayer dollars to cover flaggers around the fairgrounds, during fair week?” one Kenosha County Eye reader asked.
The number was actually higher.
Kenosha County Communications Manager Joe Potente confirmed to KCE that the county spent $43,144.54 on flagging operations during the fair.
According to Potente, the money did not pay county employees overtime or other county staff costs. Instead, Kenosha County contracted with a private traffic-control company to provide the flaggers.
County officials said the additional traffic control was arranged in cooperation with the Kenosha County Fair Board because of concerns surrounding traffic flow caused by the ongoing Highway W construction project.
“Using the contracted flaggers allowed for Sheriff’s Office personnel to focus on getting people into the fair parking lot and other traffic control duties,” Potente told KCE.
The contractor supplied six-person flagging crews on Wednesday and Thursday of fair week and 10-person crews on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The county says the $43,144.54 expense will be rolled into the overall cost of the Highway W project.
County officials also pointed to unusually heavy traffic associated with the fair. Potente said the event recorded record-breaking daily attendance on Wednesday and Sunday and also set a record for overall attendance, creating traffic challenges even without the Highway W construction.
Many people in Kenosha County love the fair and consider it an important local tradition. The issue being raised by some taxpayers is not whether the fair is popular, but why taxpayers were expected to absorb more than $43,000 in traffic-control costs associated with fair week.
The county’s position is that the Highway W construction created circumstances requiring additional traffic-control measures and that the expense therefore belongs with the road project.
Critics, however, are questioning whether that distinction changes who ultimately paid the bill. The money still came from public funds, and some residents are asking why taxpayers should subsidize such a significant expense connected to running the fair, particularly at a time when the county is facing criticism over employee wages, benefits and retention.
For those taxpayers, the question is straightforward: If the fair requires tens of thousands of dollars in additional traffic control to operate during fair week, should that cost be borne by the public or by the organization running the event?
In this case, the taxpayer-funded bill for the flaggers alone was $43,144.54.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
3 Responses
I’m sure someone who knows someone made out well off this deal. They had a bunch of teenage kids flagging that had no clue what they where doing!!!.The Sheriff deputies where still out there flagging and directing traffic. Joes position is a joke and another waste of tax payer money!!!
That’s funny cause I’m pretty sure the “flaggers” are highschool cheerleaders working on community engagement not getting paid, supposedly fundraising for the team… You should look into that.
They did a shitty job. Could have fit way more cars there.
How about a shout out to the guy who is allowed people to park on his property at the fairgrounds? He has every right to have kept that roped off.