Governor Bruce Rauner has found a way around the legislature. Efforts to create a foundation to support the Illinois State Fair stalled before the General Assembly. Today, Rauner applauded private citizens’ creation of a new not-for-profit foundation that will fundraise money to maintain the fairgrounds.
“Almost every other state that has significant agriculture has a foundation that can support their fair. Where the business community and generous community residents can donate money so that taxpayers don’t have to pay all of it themselves. It’s only common sense. ”
Rauner says there’s no downside. Opponents see it differently. They say with adequate revenues, public money should be able to support a public structure. They also have ethical concerns about what donors may expect in return for their contributions.
The fairgrounds have an estimated 180 million dollars of deferred maintenance there’s currently no state money to pay for.
