The flap over the dismissal of former Northwest Montana Fair Manager Jay Scott continued Wednesday, as about 60 of his supporters crammed into the chamber of the Flathead County Commission to demand that he be reinstated and the Fair Board, who voted against renewing his contract, be replaced.
Following the February vote against renewing Scott, two members of the five-person board have since stepped down in the face of strident public opposition. With one board member, Ted Dykstra Jr., currently serving as interim fair manager, the board lacks enough members at present to achieve a quorum.
Gerry Banzet told county commissioners he had petitions with 3,000 signatures calling for Scott’s reinstatement, and questioned whether the remaining board members were capable of running things.
“I don’t believe they have the skills needed and would be required to do this job,” Banzet said, singling out Board Member Joy Struble in particular for a recent decision to hire a Whitefish marketing firm to promote the fair.
“I don’t think she’s completely familiar with our agricultural lifestyle,” Banzet added. “If Joy’s expertise is in marketing, why in the world would she farm it out?”
In explaining the decision not to renew Scott’s contract, board members have pointed to an internal audit of the 2009 fair that concluded those running the fair’s operations lacked the financial and accounting expertise to handle the large amounts of funds passing through the fair.
Jeff Jung said reporting in local newspapers on these issues since Scott’s dismissal, “infers there was financial impropriety going on.”
“Letting somebody go because the Fair Board wants to make another direction is a difficult but understandable management decision,” Jung said. “Trashing that person’s reputation in a small community like ours is, I think, abhorrent.”
Banzet and Jung also called for clarification on the status of Dykstra Jr., objecting to his position as interim manager while retaining a seat on the board.
“The interim fair manager, we think, needs to fish or cut bait,” Jung said. “The fair is just a few months away and we don’t want to see Rome burn.”
Jackie Jung praised Scott and his wife for their dedication and the long hours they put in throughout the year supporting youth-oriented community events.
Responding to the speakers, Commissioner Joe Brenneman read a letter from Dykstra Jr. that stated: “I will not be applying for the manager position.”
Brenneman went on to defend the actions of the board, noting they have the right to make a decision like they did, and that there was sufficient public notice that they would be voting on the issue – something Banzet questioned.
“The Fair Board has the right to choose to take a new direction,” Brenneman said. “In my experience, it has never been a pleasant decision to do so, but it is a right.”
“It was on the agenda and duly noted,” he added. “They took action; we contend that it was a legitimate action.”
Brenneman also reaffirmed that, contrary to rumors, there are no plans to sell off any portion of the fairgrounds. Applications for the fair manager position were due by the end of that day, and after that the commission may appoint a selection committee to assist with the hiring to ensure all applicants – even Scott should he choose to re-apply – receive equal consideration. Dykstra Jr. will return to the board once a new manager takes over, though it’s unclear how long that process could take.
“As frustrating as this may be, we have to follow the law,” Brenneman said.
The closing date for applications to join the Fair Board is April 19 and after that the commissioners will select two people to fill the existing vacancies.
That response, however, seemed to do little to mollify the concerns of the crowd.
“It would do very well if you three commissioners would think about what 3,000 signatures mean,” Benzet said. “It means we have an awful lot of support for Jay Scott.”