By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
EL RENO – Three seats are up for election on the Canadian County Fair Board.
The board of directors’ positions are now held by Yukon’s Phil Carson (District 1), El Reno’s Brent Hunt (District 2) and Calumet’s Michael Beard (District 3).
Filing period for the next three-year term will be 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. next Monday through Friday, Jan. 23-27. Candidates will file at the Canadian County Clerk’s Office, 201 N Choctaw.
“Fair board members are responsible for listening to the residents of their districts – not just the agriculture community, but all the people in the area,” Canadian County Fair Board Secretary Brad Tipton said.
“This is important so they can make informed decisions on behalf of their constituents. They must be available for the spring youth livestock show and to plan and present our annual county fair.”
A resolution approved Jan. 3 by Canadian County Commissioners outlines Fair Board election requirements:
- Only registered voters of Canadian County are eligible to file as a candidate.
- Any person so filing must reside in the commissioner’s district they seek to represent.
- Prospective candidates must file with the County Clerk on the form prescribed by Canadian County Commissioners.
Canadian County’s Fair Board is comprised of nine members, three representing each commissioner district.
Other members are Yukon’s Kelly Beck, Calumet’s Dan Wedman, El Reno’s Clint Reuter, El Reno’s Justin Atkinson, Mustang’s Ken Carpenter, and Calumet’s Mike Crowly.
Beck, Reuter and Crowly will be up for re-election in February 2024; Atkinson, Carpenter and Wedman in February 2025.
The Canadian County Fair Board conducts at least five meetings annually.
ELECTION SET FEB. 11
If more than one eligible candidate files for any seat, an election will be 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11. The designated election sites are:
- District 1 – Public Meeting Room of Canadian County Administration Building in El Reno.
- District 2 – Mustang Town Center in Mustang.
- District 3 – Canadian County Farm Bureau Building in El Reno.
By statute, the County Commissioners are responsible for conducting Fair Board elections in their districts.
This may be done “by whatever means you choose,” Canadian County Commission Chairman Dave Anderson told fellow commissioners.
“You can have a raised hand, or you can do a secret ballot,” Anderson explained. “The venue and the results of that are our responsibility to conduct.”
