Fair leader gets raise

Despite a public outcry and the district attorney’s investigation into its recent activities, the Orange County Fairgrounds Board of Directors voted 5 to 1 Thursday to give Steve Beazley, the president and chief executive, a roughly $7,000 raise.

Through his 5.17% merit raise, Beazley’s annual salary increased to $143,539.

Trustee David Padilla cast the lone opposition vote. Trustee Mary Young was absent.

“Our employees are on furlough, the CEO is supposed to act in looking out for the property, and I don’t feel that was done,” Padilla said. “This is a public relations disaster.”

Except for Padilla and fellow trustee Joyce Tucker, the board declined to authorize a discussion on its position on the sale of the fairgrounds or state Assembly Bill 1590, which aims to rescind a July Assembly bill that authorized the sale of the 150-acre property.

However, under pressure from community members who spoke out at Thursday’s board meeting at the fairgrounds, the board voted to move up next month’s meeting to Feb. 2 to discuss and provide the public with a formal position on the fairgrounds’ sale.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, AB 1590 unanimously passed the appropriation committee. The bill’s next stop will be the floor of the Assembly. The date hasn’t yet been set.

Members from the Orange County Fairgrounds Preservation Society also called on the board members to formally state their position on the sale of the fairgrounds. Some called on them to resign.

“You have failed ethically,” said Vern Nelson, a Costa Mesa resident. “The least you can do is resign in shame or call the governor to stop the sale.”

The fairgrounds was auctioned off Jan. 14 to Craig Realty Group, an outlet developer, for $56.5 million. The fairgrounds board of directors used taxpayers’ money to lobby the state to sell off the fairgrounds. The board members’ activities — including forming a nonprofit to buy the fairgrounds and using taxpayers’ money to lobby the state — are being investigated by the county district attorney.