Prineville, Ore. — Crook County is accepting applications for two upcoming vacancies on the Crook County Fair Board, including seats currently held by board chair and former Prineville City Councilor Gail Merritt and board member Jennifer Cummins.
Both positions expire at the end of this year, with new three-year terms ending December 31st, 2029. Applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Thursday, December 3rd, 2026.
It is unclear whether either current board member intends to seek reappointment to another term.
Merritt’s tenure marked by public meetings controversies
Merritt has served as chair of the Crook County Fair Board for several years and previously served on the Prineville City Council, where she was first appointed in 2011 and remained until the end of 2024.
According to her former city biography, Merritt’s background also includes work as a farm bookkeeper and co-owner, teaching at High Desert Dance Arts, and volunteer involvement with the Crook County Foundation’s scholarship program.
Merritt was reelected as Fair Board chair earlier this year, according to county commissioners’ meeting records from January 21st, 2026.
Her tenure as chair has included several controversies surrounding the Fair Board’s compliance with Oregon’s Public Meetings Law, including questions over the board’s use of executive sessions and more recent concerns involving a committee established to discuss public funding for fairground improvements.
In 2024, the board conducted interviews for a vacant Fair Board position during an executive session, a process that county officials subsequently acknowledged violated Oregon’s public meetings requirements. The controversy eventually resulted in the board restarting its appointment recommendation process.
The appointment process involved Larry Blanton, a retired Deschutes County sheriff who subsequently joined the Fair Board.
Having served in local government for approximately 15 years before leaving the Prineville City Council at the end of 2024, in addition to her years on the Fair Board, Merritt is believed to have received public meetings law training on numerous occasions throughout her tenure in public office.
The board also includes other members with extensive government experience, including Casey Kaiser, who serves as assistant city manager for the City of Prineville, and Blanton, whose career included serving as the elected sheriff of Deschutes County.
Despite the government experience of these members, the Fair Board has faced repeated questions concerning its compliance with Oregon’s Public Meetings Law, including the previously acknowledged executive session violation involving Blanton’s appointment and the more recent legal challenge involving the Funding Committee’s meetings.
More recently, Merritt was identified as one of three Fair Board members serving on a private Funding Committee established in April 2026 to discuss expenditures involving public funding for improvements at the Crook County Fairgrounds.
The committee, which also included Kaiser and Blanton, faced a legal challenge concerning its compliance with Oregon’s Public Meetings Law, including allegations that meetings were conducted without required public notices and that meeting minutes had not been produced.
The committee’s activities involved discussions concerning a $1 million state appropriation under House Bill 5204 for horse-racing facilities and related improvements at the fairgrounds.
Following the legal challenge, the county ceased holding the committee meetings, with the Crook County Board of Commissioners instead directly addressing matters involving the state funding.
It remains unclear why the county chose to discontinue the committee meetings rather than conduct them openly in compliance with Oregon’s public meetings requirements.
More recently, Blanton was appointed as a liaison to continue discussions with stakeholders concerning the expenditure of the funds. While the county continues moving forward with plans for the state appropriation, the arrangement raises additional transparency concerns over discussions involving public funding that continue to occur outside publicly noticed meetings.
Editor's Note: This editor initiated legal action in Crook County Circuit Court challenging the Fair Board Funding Committee's alleged violations of Oregon's Public Meetings Law, seeking an injunction against continued unlawful meetings and an order requiring the production of meeting minutes. Following the legal challenge, the county ceased holding the committee meetings. The case remains pending before the court.
Applications due December 3rd
The Crook County Fair Board oversees operations and policies for the county fairgrounds, including planning, facility improvements and other matters involving the annual Crook County Fair and events held at the property.
Members serve three-year terms and are appointed by the Crook County Board of Commissioners.
Those interested in applying can obtain an application at the Crook County Commissioners’ Office, located at 300 NE 3rd Street in Prineville, or request one by emailing [email protected].
Applications are also available for download through the county’s Boards and Committees webpage.
The application deadline is 4 p.m. Thursday, December 3rd, 2026.
Mr. Alderman is an investigative journalist specializing in government transparency, non-profit accountability, consumer protection, and is a subject matter expert on Oregon’s public records and meetings laws. As a former U.S. Army Military Police Officer, he brings a disciplined investigative approach to his reporting that has frequently exposed ethics violations, financial mismanagement, and transparency failures by public officials and agencies.
