PROVO — Just a few years ago, the Utah County Fair cost the county about $150,000. This year's fair cost the county only $47,000, and officials say it soon may be self-sustaining.

Carol Harmer, co-chairwoman of the fair for the past two years with her husband, Jay, presented the numbers Tuesday to county commissioners, all of whom seemed pleased with the amount.

Harmer said when Thanksgiving Point held the fair, the commissioners would give them a certain amount of money to spend. However, now that the fair is back in Spanish Fork, the cost to the county has decreased.

The total cost of the 2009 fair was $134,000 — about $4,000 less than last year — but 65 percent of the cost was paid for by fair revenue, up from 51 percent in 2008.

Even with the overall cost going down, Harmer said organizers brought in 11 more events this year, including the Dutch oven cook-off, a live farm animal zoo and a halter horse show.

Harmer said she and her husband were able to lower the cost of various items by negotiating prices and cutting where they could.

"We cut budgets where needed and told people, 'You're not working on an unlimited checkbook,' and 'You keep the budget within reason,' " she said.

Harmer is working with a committee to come up with an idea like the demolition derby, which paid for about $57,000 of the cost of the fair this year, according to the year-end report.

E-MAILl: slenz@desnews.com