San Benito wants a cut

SAN BENITO — The city wants part of the proceeds generated by the South Texas Youth Stock Show, officials said Wednesday.
But sharing the money would cut into the number of scholarships the show awards to students, Kathy Rike, a member of the show’s board of directors, said.
City officials will meet with show board members at 1 p.m. Saturday to discuss plans to renegotiate a contract that would give the city a percentage of the proceeds, Mayor Joe Hernandez said.
He refused to disclose what percentage the city wants, but did say that the city would use the money for fairground improvements.
“The land belongs to the community and the taxpayers so we can’t give the land without a fee,” Hernandez said.
The city has charged the show a token $1 for exclusive use of the city fairgrounds from October through February, Rike said.
She said that the show earns between $5,000 and $6,000, which is used for at least five scholarships, with the remainder set aside for the following year’s show. That money is used for expenses that include paying for judges’ airline tickets and hotel rooms, she said.
Whatever share the city wants would reduce the amount of money in the show’s scholarship fund, Rike said.
City officials had not told organizers of their plans to seek a percentage of the money raised, she said.
“We’re willing to work with (city officials) to come up with some kind of relationship that’s amicable to everyone,” Rike said.
Officials also plan to renegotiate the length of time that the city will lease the fairgrounds to the show’s organizers, Hernandez said, but declined to disclose details.
Under the city’s current contract, the show has exclusive use of the fairgrounds from Oct. 15 to March 1, Rike said.
Officials also want the option to lease the fairgrounds to groups such as the local Rotary Club, which will hold an event there on Saturday, Hernandez said.
“We’ve asked them to give us as many weekends as possible,” Rike said.
Organizers need an eight- to 10-week period to stage the show, she said, and they’ll need at least four weekends to set up 100 lamb and goat pens and 150 hog pens. Following the show, they’ll need about two weekends to remove the pens, she said.
“We’re not trying to impede on their ability to lease it,” Rike said.
City officials want to reduce that time period to avoid liability as city crews make repairs.
Hurricane Dolly in July 2008 damaged restrooms. a ticket booth and an announcer’s stand, Hernandez said.
The city’s move to renegotiate the show’s contract comes about two months after organizers canceled the show, claiming that city officials failed to tell them whether they would pay for repairs.
Organizers reconsidered their decision after officials earmarked $65,000 to pay for temporary repairs of the fairgrounds.