Officeholders who made a $65,000 contribution to the fair board defended their decision at Thursday’s Lawrence County Commission meeting.

At its Aug. 27 meeting, $50,000 was transferred from various accounts in the general fund budget to the Lawrence County Agriculture Society. Voting for that transfer were commissioners Bill Pratt and Freddie Hayes Jr. Commission president Les Boggs had left the meeting for an appointment before the vote.

The largest transfer was $34,924.88 taken from a sheriff’s office account to pay for leases for some cruisers. Since there are no more lease payments this year, no more transfers were expected out of it. The account now has a zero balance.

The $50,000 donation was in addition to the annual contribution of $15,000 the commission makes each spring to the fair board.

The transfer, along with $15,000 from clerk of court Mike Patterson’s excess title funds, went to help the fair board cover the cost of improvements at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds following a July fair whose proceeds came in less than anticipated because of bad weather.

At the time he learned of the transfer, sheriff Jeff Lawless said he was concerned about it because of what he called his tight budget and that he might need to draw from that account to fund other operations at his office.

Hayes said he has been involved with the fair for 18 years.

“I’ve supported that fair with my own money,” said the commissioner, who cited the recent purchase of five cruisers for the sheriff’s office as an example of the commitment the commission has made to public safety.

Those cruisers were added to the total fleet of 24 vehicles that range from 2000 to 2013 models. The average mileage of the older cruisers is 200,000 miles.

“We did everything for the sheriff above and beyond,” he said. “He calls up and wants a freezer, we do it. He wants a van, we do it.”

The recent purchase of a freezer replaced one that was 26-years-old and the van was requested to replace a 2009 model with 140,000 miles used to transport inmates out of county to alleviate overcrowding at the jail.

Patterson said giving to the fair and other groups such as senior citizen organizations with excess title funds is his way to give back to the community.

“When it comes to the fair, that comes from me,” Patterson told the commission. “I donate to the fair. There are 550 kids (participating in the fair). That is a whole lot of families. I was raised in 4-H. I believe we create a lot of wonderful people. Next year when it comes time to support the fair, if it is good for Lawrence County, I’m for it. It will come freely from me.”

Transferring the funds was done without public discussion, which Pratt said is standard procedure for the commission.

“I don’t remember we ever discussed transfers,” Pratt said. “It was not like we were trying to cover up.”

As to depleting the sheriff’s account, Pratt said that money could not be carried over at the end of the year and had to be spent.

However, according to chief deputy auditor Chris Kline if that money had not been spent, it would have gone back to the general fund as a carryover for next year. It did not have to be expended by the end of the year.

Pratt cited the economic impact the fair has on the community and the improvements at the fairgrounds have had on Rome Township.

“We wouldn’t have had Wyngate (an upscale senior complex across from the fairgrounds) without those renovations and the barn,” he said.