Countywide : New Carnival Operator Is Possible for O.C. Fair

Orange County Fair officials have plans to finalize a three-year contract with a new carnival operator to provide rides at the fair through 1997, but a protest by the company that has provided rides for the past 10 years may stall the deal.

The prospective operator, Ray Cammack Shows of Laveen, Ariz., has operated the midway for the Los Angeles County Fair for 10 years. It would replace B&B; Amusements, which held the contract in Orange County for a decade and is protesting the decision.

B&B; has a week to outline its complaint to the state. A hearing then will be scheduled, which could delay the contract awarding process by up to several months, said Jill Lloyd, a fair spokeswoman. Owners of B&B;, of Yuma, Ariz., were unavailable for comment.

Under the proposed deal, the fair would get a smaller percentage of receipts, but the tentative contract includes a guarantee that Cammack operator will provide $200,000 a year in improvements for the fair, probably starting with the Kiddie Carnival area, fair spokeswoman Pam Heck said.

B&B;’s 1994 contract paid 45% of its first $100,000 in receipts to the fair; 43% on the second $100,000 of receipts, and 40% of any receipts over $200,000. The company did not have to pay for general fair improvements.

Last year, B&B; grossed more than $2 million on the carnival rides--$1.2 million for itself and $999,000 for the fair, Heck said.

Cammack would pay for the improvements plus 35% of the ride gross receipts up to $1 million, 25% of ride receipts over $1 million and 40% of all pre-sale carnival tickets.