Orange County Fair Board approves stricter policy on free concert tickets
Heeding a state warning, members will be limited to 10 freebies for each show at the Pacific Amphitheatre, 16 fewer than previously allowed.
Warned by the state to alter its practice of handing out tickets to some of the summer's hottest concerts, the Orange County Fair Board today adopted a more conservative policy that will limit each board member to 10 complimentary tickets for each concert at the Pacific Amphitheatre.
For years, the board had allowed its members to take as many as 26 free tickets for each show, a practice that resulted in board members doling out thousands of premium concert passes to political figures, business associates and friends.
If the nine board members desire additional seats, they will be allowed to purchase up to six tickets at face value, the board decided.
The revisions, approved during a board meeting, fulfilled promises made by Fair Chief Executive Becky Bailey-Findley and board President Dale Dykema to scale back the freebies in the wake of state audits that found they might be an inappropriate use of public funds.
Since the Pacific Amphitheatre reopened for business at the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa in 2003, fair directors have taken thousands of premium tickets for the summer concert series, which has attracted headliners such as Bob Dylan, LeAnn Rimes and Ziggy Marley.
The biggest ticket-taker was Deborah Carona, the wife of former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona. Over the last two years she used or gave away more than 1,100 tickets, many going to her husband, his political donors and members of the Sheriff's Department. She occasionally exceeded her 26-ticket limit, receiving unused tickets from other directors.
The free concert tickets are part of a larger group of courtesy passes distributed by the fair for an array of events, and not just to board members. For example, complimentary fair admission tickets are given out to charity groups, neighborhood residents and others. The board arrived at the 26 figure through discussions with staff about how to generate community goodwill and attention, and promote the fair.
Under state guidelines, free passes for concerts, admission and other events cannot exceed 4% of gross fair proceeds from the preceding year.
In three annual audits starting in 2004, state regulators found the total number of courtesy tickets given away for all fair events was double or triple the state's guideline. Representatives of the California Department of Food and Agriculture and state lawyers met earlier this year with fair officials after the Orange County Register published a story about the ticket policy.
The Orange County Fair was among five in California put on notice by the state for giving away too many free tickets. The others were San Diego, Ventura, San Luis Obispo and Fresno counties.
christine.hanley@latimes.com
