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By Myrna Trauntvein
TN Correspondent

It would help pay for law enforcement security at events at the county fairgrounds if ticket buyers paid just 50-cents more per ticket.

Doug Anderson, Juab County Sheriff, and Travis Kenison, Juab County Undersheriff, asked county commissioners if there were a way to pay for security at events without the law enforcement budget taking a $30,000 hit to provide such security.

Anderson showed a printout of the expense of bringing in the necessary manpower to make the event safe for those attending. On the printout he indicated the portion that went for wages and the portion that went for providing benefits.

“I will tell you upfront that I am opposed to paying for benefits,” said Marty Palmer, commissioner. “We already pay county employee benefits. We all work for the same county.”

John Crippen, county administrator, said that it was a requirement of the state that social security be paid.

The problem with starting the collection now, said Clinton Painter, commissioner, was that tickets for most events had already gone on sale so it would be impossible to add the 50-cents to tickets already sold. That should have been done at the first of the year.

“How many years have we been talking?” asked T. Kenison.

They had already sold 4,000 tickets for the demolition derby, said Painter. He said that he supported the idea of passing the cost for security on to the consumer but was afraid they would need to do the addition to a ticket price next season.

“It makes sense,” said Painter.

“We do charge outside entities such as the BLM for security provided for them, such as at the Sand Dunes,” said Crippen.

“The fair is mostly free,” said Jamie Garrett, county events and county fair director. “The derby and the little rodeo are the only ones that pay.”

Painter said that, looking at the figures, the Stampede drew 33,000 over three nights. The concert, also a paying event, drew 3,700 in one night and the derby drew 4,800 in one night. He said they needed to look at the amount that would be needed to cover costs.

The sheriff’s office had discussed adding 75-cents per ticket but he thought that 50-cents would be enough.

“I’m still not ready to include health benefits,” said Palmer. “At the Ute Stampede, most of the need for security is for the carnival.”

He asked if the Stampede committee paid the carnival to come or if the carnival paid the Stampede to come.

Painter said he had heard both ways but did not know the answer. Only the Stampede committee could provide that information.

“Their tickets have not gone on sale yet,” said Painter. “We could see if the ticket cost could be added this year.”

Palmer said that Stampede tickets would go on sale in a week. If the commission put a meeting on the agenda for next meeting, it would not be in time.

“I need to know what you are going to do,” said Garrett. “I get it. I see the need but I need to know.”

Crippen wondered about the fees charged for the EMT service provided at events. He wondered if they were paid enough.

“We need to call a work meeting before our next commission meeting,” said Palmer. “We need to meet with the Stampede committee and the Sheriff’s Office.”

T. Kenison said that the sheriff’s office had met with them and they were “pretty good” about the proposal.

“They were not in opposition,” said Anderson.

Painter asked if there was a need to table the request and meet with the agencies all together. They could find out about the need for benefits, if the 50-cent fee would bring in enough revenue to help the sheriff’s office, and how everyone thought the problem could be solved.

Palmer made the motion to table the request and plan a meeting soon. Painter made the second and all voted in favor.