OC Fair Board to vote on sale

The Orange County Fair Board is expected to vote on a resolution tonight supporting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal to sell the fairgrounds.

Schwarzenegger proposed selling the fairgrounds along with several other state-owned properties to make money right before Californians went to the polls in May and rejected the six ballot propositions put out by the Legislature to close the state’s budget deficit.

Although the state owns the land, Costa Mesa controls the zoning, and some city officials have said they would not allow anything but a fair to take its place.

The resolution to be considered by the board at a special meeting asks that the land be sold to a local nonprofit corporation that would continue to run the site as a fair and events center.

The fair is a state organization, but it is self-sustaining through revenue generated by ticket sales and other proceeds.

No money from the state’s general fund goes into it.

Nonetheless, the state is still facing a multibillion-dollar deficit.

State financial analysts say the fairgrounds, along with six other properties, could bring in roughly $1 billion.

Estimates of the fairgrounds’ value go up to $180 million.

Efforts to reach fair officials for comment Tuesday afternoon were unsuccessful.