Martin County commissioners voted Oct. 7 to extend the Martin County Fairgrounds contract through 2027, giving the fair association more time to complete its eventual move to a new location.
Assistant County Administrator George Stokus delivered a presentation on behalf of the Martin County Fair Association.
“The Martin County Fair Association has asked for a one-year extension in their current location off Southeast Dixie Highway,” he said.
According to documents provided to the county, the extended lease will now expire June 18, 2027, at no additional cost to the county.
Susan Gibbs Tomas, an Indiantown resident and former village mayor, spoke about the fairgrounds’ importance beyond entertainment.
“Your fairgrounds is also utilized during a natural disaster by the county, or by FEMA, or by Florida Power and Light,” she said.
Commission Vice Chair Edward Ciampi was the first to comment on extending the lease.
“I think in the past, we started to get into this kind of adversarial negotiation, that it was like ‘us vs. them,’ and I never thought of it that way,” he said.
However, Ciampi also voiced concern about another delay.
“I think waiting an additional year is a disservice to the fair,” he said. “I think that if we change the mindset of kicking the can down the road an additional year, we’re sitting here a year from now and having a similar conversation.”
Ciampi said he wants to move “full steam ahead” on developing the new fairgrounds and hopes the 2025 fair will be the last held at the current site.
Dennis Ciaglo, president of the Model Railroad Club, which also uses the fairgrounds property, supported extending the lease.
“It’s a must,” he said.
Commissioner Sarah Heard also expressed support for the extension.
“If we approve the negotiations for the new contract, it’s going to take a while to negotiate that contract. I can certainly understand their need to extend the lease to 2027,” she said.
Micah Robbins, executive director of the Martin County Fair, addressed Ciampi’s concerns.
“We are ready to get moving on this,” he said. “As far as being able to get to a fair in 2027, we’re committed to doing that.”
The motion to extend the lease passed unanimously.