Fair board hopes to cover horse arena

A busy meeting Wednesday gave opportunities to county entities to make funding requests for the next fiscal year. From the Union County Development Association to the Union County Fair Board, local recreation and services were in the spotlight.

As the county looks ahead to budgeting for the next year, community organizations and county departments make requests and discuss their budgets, respectively. UCDA and the fair board both made funding requests during Wednesday’s meeting; Union County Conservation and Veterans Affairs discussed their budgets.

Union County Development Association

UCDA Executive Director Mindy Stalker appeared before the county supervisors discussing development around the county. Presenting the annual report and a packet describing the organization’s Update Uptown process, Stalker listed several achievements made in the county.

Housing continues to make progress. Adams Street housing projects, including Parkway Heights apartments and Adams Street townhomes, continued development, receiving Workforce Housing Tax Credits which were awarded based on Creston’s Thriving Communities designation.

UCDA’s Roundhouse continues to host coworking organizations, such as the Fuller Center for Housing of Southern Iowa and Fife Strategies. Workshops and the Intern It UP program continues to use the space.

Events UCDA assisted in during 2025 range from Creston Parks & Recreation’s Comedy Night, Market on Maple, Crush Cancer and others. Outside of Creston, Afton involvement continues with the Kansas Street Boogie and the Pre 4th Celebration, as well as in Cromwell for their Harvest Fest and Lorimor for the Lions Watermelon Day.

As trail expansion receives more interest, Stalker lamented discussions with developers proposing projects more expensive than what the organization could afford. One of UCDA’s goals is to create a trail plan that will connect Afton and Creston with a trail.

Update Uptown continues progress, with the comprehensive plan through 2040 continuing even through changes in Creston city leadership. A packet presented to supervisors describes the steps the plan has already taken and grants the city had received.

Additional praise was given by Stalker for Mallory Tallmon, a new client services and marketing coordinator. Tallmon joined last year while participating in UCDA’s Lead UC program and serving as a member of the Union County Young Professionals Planning Committee.

Stalker requested a “same as always” $20,000 for the next fiscal year.

Union County Fair Board

Fair Board Vice President Ben Adamson discussed expanding and improving the fairgrounds and annual event with Union County’s supervisors. Adamson reported last year’s fair was successful and profitable despite declining attendance, which Adamson theorized was because of extreme heat and general attendance trends around the county.

Credit was also given to other general events held on the fairgrounds. From cattle shows and muscle mat club events to saddle club and shooting, even weddings have made the fairgrounds home. These events, with facilities available to the community, bring travelers and business to Afton and greater Union County.

Updates to the cattle barn and show arena totaling $1.9 million have been paid off. Bleachers and other amenities for the rodeo arena have yet to be paid with about $220,000 in outstanding balance. Adamson expects this to be paid by the end of 2026.

“Things are going good, but we’re looking to expand again,” Adamson said.

The fair board is in the process of writing a Dekko grant for updating facilities on the south of the fairground typically used for 4-H events and horseback riding. Adamson said in recent years these facilities can be easily flooded which makes for muddy events.

“Every time there’s a rain, it becomes unusable,” Adamson said.

A cover has been proposed to be installed for these facilities. The Dekko grant is expected to cover about half of the project, with the fair board expecting to cover the other half (about $330,000) through pledges. The fair board is requesting $30,000 from Union County.

Union County Conservation

Conservation was the first county department to discuss their budget with county supervisors. Director Mike Hilger discussed his proposed budget with supervisors, from employee payrolls to other equipment costs.

Contracted payments for an individual who cleans cabins at conservation campgrounds received scrutiny from the county. Hilger said this route of payment allows for more budgetary funds to be opened for other line items.

Most of Hilger’s changes came from compensating for possible equipment repairs. This is Hilger’s first year as director following the retirement of Doug Jones.

Difficulties with navigating canceled reservations, especially recently with Twelve Mile Lake down 8 feet causing two weeks worth of ice fishing reservations to be canceled, has hurt income for conservation.

Still, 2025 offered the opening of two larger cabins which can be used for extended stays for larger groups. Repairs to the Twelve Mile Lodge were also completed last year, now reopened for reservation.

Hilger was asked by the county to report to the county on conservation operations on a quarterly basis.

Union County Veterans Affairs

VA Director Gary Gelhaye discussed Veterans Affairs’ budget with county supervisors. Gelhaye’s requests were relatively minor. For the five members of the VA board, he requested their attendance fee to be increased.

Gelhaye noted difficulties with foresight into veteran services. Without knowing what services they’ll need to offer, requesting a budget becomes difficult.

“It’s hard to budget for,” Gelhaye said. “Any other relief items, you just don’t know. You can’t really budget for veterans’ needs. What they need is what they need.”

VA in Union County could serve up to 772 veterans across the county according to information provided by the state. This all depends on who utilizes the services.

In other Union County news...

Crossroads Behavioral Health Services were originally on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting to make a budget request but did not show. This is the second time Crossroads has been on a county agenda and was unable to attend since the Iowa Auditor’s Office released their special investigation report on the organization saying they, in 2024, mishandled federal funds.