By County commissioners have approved an allocation of $436,347 for the Brown County Fairgrounds Improvement Fund.
The topic was discussed and the total approved during a budget hearing at the commission’s regular meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at the Brown County Courthouse Annex.
MORE: 2025 Brown County Fair revenue was record-breaking $1.795 million
Brown County Fair Manager Rachel Kippley had asked for $1.06 million for the fund — a combination of unspent revenue and unprojected profits. Here’s how that total broke down:
- $100,000 in unspent money budgeted for the fair.
- $857,857 in unprojected revenue.
- $81,000 in net profits from the new liquor license for the fairgrounds.
- $18,857 in unused fairground donations and grants.
In the end, commissioners contributed to the improvement fund, but to a lesser extent.
Kippley
In 2025, the fair and fairgrounds had $1.39 million in expenses and collected $1.82 million in revenue. The difference — $436,347 — is what went into the fund. That pushed the balance to $1.25 million, Kippley said after the meeting.
“If we can do this without having to tap into tax dollars, that is the ideal situation,” said Commissioner Mike Wiese.
The commission also allocated $350,000 for the Brown County Highway Department to cover work to be done at the fairgrounds.
Kippley said she did not know about the money set aside for the highway department until the meeting. She said she had included that money in her request.
Locals ask what can be done to reopen bridge northwest of Hecla
Brown County Highway Superintendent Dirk Rogers fielded questions about a closed bridge across the James River a mile north and a mile west of Hecla on 103rd Street.
Residents from Hecla and Liberty townships were at the meeting to see if there was anything that could be done to open the bridge to car and side-by-side traffic.
Rogers
The bridge was closed about 30 days ago, Rogers said. It’s the fourth time the structure has been closed. The other times were in 1968, 1978 and 1988, he said.
Residents opined that it is a gateway for folks to enjoy the wildlife at Sand Lake Wildlife Refuge, particularly bald eagles that congregate during the winter months.
But the bridge will remain closed because of low traffic numbers and how much it would cost to replace, Rogers said. The money would be better spent on other parts of the county highway system, he said.
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Replacing the bridge would cost roughly $2 million, according to engineers with IMEG.
Rogers said he’s not against exploring options to see if the bridge can be salvaged or if a low-water crossing can replace it, but said the county hasn’t had much luck with low-water crossings in the past.
Commissioners also approved matters of routine business.
