Comanche County Fairgrounds Trustees Call Special Meeting Over Executive Director and Chef

The Comanche County Fairgrounds Trust Authority has scheduled a special meeting for 6 p.m. Wednesday, and the agenda includes an executive session to discuss employee matters involving Executive Director Richard Pool and Chef Todd Fischer. The meeting follows concerns raised by newly appointed Fair Board members, who say that after taking their seats they uncovered what they describe as“some disturbing information.”

The allegations on the table include Fischer reportedly using a county purchasing card to buy cigarettes at Chiefs Ice House on West Gore Boulevard, and Pool signing a lease he had no authority to issue, with a tenant named Chris McGraff. Board members are also questioning an RV parked at the fairgrounds that violated city codes while no rent or utilities were paid, along with a trailer remodeled on the south side of the property without Fair Board approval. County Commissioners Ryan John and Josh Powers made the appointments that brought these members on board.

Because the meeting includes an executive session, the discussion of specific employee matters will happen behind closed doors, though the meeting itself is open to the public. With taxpayer dollars and a county-owned facility at the center of the story, residents on both sides of town have a stake in what happens Wednesday night. What would you want the board to clarify first?