Some likely to return next year

MOSES LAKE - The Grant County Fairgrounds will lay off six people at the end of the month.

The employees who will be laid off include five maintenance employees and one member of the office staff. The fairgrounds has nine full-time employees.

Fairgrounds Manager Bill West said there's a lack of events for the month, so there isn't any need to keep a full staff. There are some private parties and a New Year's Eve event, but he said they didn't require much labor.

"I'm not thrilled about laying people off, but I've got to be realistic about it," he said. "We don't need to keep a full crew (for December.)"

West and the Grant County commissioners will discuss how many of the employees will be back after December, he said. At least some will be rehired at the beginning of the year.

"Of course we're going to need people next year," he said. "It's still something I need to work out with the commissioners."

Commissioner Cindy Carter said the move will save money. Initial requests for the 2009 budget are about $4.1 million higher than the county's projected revenues. State law requires the county to have a balanced budget by the end of the year.

"(The fairgrounds) did not have a lot of things planned (for December,)" she said. "Hopefully it's a temporary thing until we have events scheduled. We do need to do repairs and maintenance, but it's a service that can be temporarily suspended."

Starting Monday, the commissioners start reviewing the 2009 budget requests, which are about $34 million. The county estimates the 2009 revenue at about $29 million. Carter said last year they had an about $3 million difference between requests and revenue.

"We are looking better then most counties in this position," she said. "Anything we can save in (2008) will help in (2009)."

The fairgrounds received a budget extension in August for about $100,000, and submitted another request earlier this month for about $230,000. The commissioners lowered the second request to about $125,000. Carter said it's likely to be lower now. They haven't approved the request yet.