In any county in which there is a duly organized county agricultural society, the board of county commissioners or the county agricultural society itself may purchase or lease, for a term of not less than twenty years, real estate on which to hold fairs under the management and control of the county agricultural society, and may erect suitable buildings on the real estate and otherwise improve it.

In counties in which there is a county agricultural society that has purchased, or leased for a term of not less than twenty years, real estate as a site on which to hold fairs, or if the title to the site is vested in fee in the county, the board of county commissioners may erect or repair buildings or otherwise improve the site and pay the rental of it, or contribute to or pay any other form of indebtedness of the society, if the director of agriculture has certified to the board that the county agricultural society is complying with all laws and rules governing the operation of county agricultural societies. The board may appropriate from the county's general fund or permanent improvement fund, and may appropriate revenue from a tax levied under division (L) of section 5739.09 of the Revised Code, any amount that it considers necessary for any of those purposes, provided that an appropriation of revenue from that tax may be expended only for the purposes provided in the resolution levying that tax.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2015.

Effective Date: 09-26-2003 .