Washington County paid HGTV television star Hilary Farr more than $30,000 to appear as the keynote speaker for its Real Estate Expo earlier this month. As if that figure weren’t controversial enough, it was recently revealed that the funds were borrowed from federal pandemic recovery funds, which had previously been set aside for blight mitigation in the county. While many praised the county for getting Farr and the Real Estate Expo, which stands a chance of netting the county far greater sums of money in the long term, others were not fans of the costly gamble.
Farr’s appearance at the expo was heavily advertised as the highlight of the March 12 event, where she delivered the keynote address and stayed for pictures and autographs afterward. Farr also took the stage with County Commission Chairman Nick Sherman for about an hour to speak in-depth about economic development in the region.
Farr’s Fee
Sherman was quick to point out that while Farr’s $30,000 speaking fee and other expenses were fronted using the county’s blight mitigation funds, the plan is for that amount to be repaid with sponsorship dollars and vendor fees generated from the expo.
“We have raised all the money to pay back that account, so that account will be reimbursed,” Sherman said. “So there will be no cost to the taxpayer or the blight fund. So we’re operating in the black now.”
Backlash and Controversy
However, not everyone is as confident in the expo’s success. Commissioner Larry Maggi, for instance, who attended portions of the expo and did not speak, said he wants transparency on how much county money was spent. In addition to Farr’s fees, a great deal of the budget for the expo event as a whole was similarly pulled from allocated funds. To this end, Maggi is calling upon the government to release statements cataloging how much it cost to hold the event and what sponsorship or vendor payments were made to help offset the costs.
“I want to see an audit,” Maggi said. “We were soliciting funds from different groups for this, and I would like to see who gave what. Where did the money come from to pay for this event, and what did it cost the taxpayer? And I’m not sure what the purpose was for. What was the stated purpose of this expo?”
The county made an initial $15,000 payment to Farr’s Los Angeles-based talent agency on Dec. 5 from its Washington Financial bank account set aside for ARPA funds, and then made the second and final payment of $15,000 on Feb. 6 to cover the total appearance fee. In addition to the $30,000 fee, the county also covered Farr’s first-class flight on an airline of her choosing and her stay at a Pittsburgh hotel of her choice, while providing transportation to and from the event in a chauffeured luxury vehicle.
More Questions Raised
Further questions were raised by acting county controller Heather Sheatler regarding the use of a new bank account labeled “Real Estate Expo.” This new account was opened in February and is independently controlled by three county employees in the commissioners’ office. Sheatler’s solicitor, Ronald Kolla, emailed county attorney Gary Sweat on Monday, advising that the bank account, which appeared to contain about $7,500, should be closed immediately since it is not subject to the oversight of the controller’s office.
“It has come to my attention that an unauthorized bank account was opened for the Real Estate Expo. This action was taken outside the proper financial protocols designed to maintain accountability over public resources,” Sheatler said in a written statement Wednesday. “The checks and balances established by the state exist for a reason—to safeguard taxpayer dollars and ensure that no individual or entity operates beyond scrutiny. To circumvent these rules is to avoid accountability, something I simply cannot allow.”
Will the Gamble Pay Off?
Approximately 75 sponsors and vendors participated in the expo, although it was unclear how much each was charged to set up booths in the upstairs gymnasium.
Sherman said the response to the inaugural Real Estate Expo has encouraged them to hold a similar, albeit smaller, event next year. “We had 1,500 people through the door that day. It was a massive success,” Sherman said. “There were business leaders there (and) it was an opportunity to have synergy in the area. It was a massive success and what the people of Washington County want.”
