After complaints from a number of parents whose children show goats at the Park County Fair, fair advisory board member Sara Skalsky has resigned her position as the goat barn superintendent. Skalsky announced her resignation at the end of the board’s Sept. 9 meeting, in which the complaints against her were discussed in a roughly hour-long, closed door executive session.

In letters shared with the fair board and reviewed by the Tribune, the parents said Skalsky favored some youths while treating others poorly. In one specific instance, they took issue with Skalsky’s decision to fine two youths $50 each at July’s fair — one for using a goat pen that wasn’t theirs and the other for sharing that pen.

The mothers of those two youths, Nicole Baggs and Amber Mortenson of Cody, spoke to the board during the executive session, along with a few other community members who were involved with showing goats at the fair.

Baggs told the Tribune that her son brought three goats and asked for two pens, but only received one. She said calls to Skalsky to fix the issue were not returned, so her son wound up using a pen that another goat showman volunteered.

At the meeting, Skalsky defended her decision to impose a punishment for changing stalls, saying the electricity was set up to work with each set of pens. Additionally, she said posted signs advised that youth couldn’t switch pens without talking to the superintendent first.

However, Skalsky expressed confusion about the origin of the fines.

“​​I actually don’t know where the $50 came from,” she said.

Park County Events Office Assistant Karl Johnston then pulled up a text he said Skalsky had sent, in which she specifically told him and Events Coordinator Billy Wood to fine the youths $50 each. 

“I don’t remember saying that,” Skalsky responded. “I apologize.”

Prior to entering the closed door session, the board determined the fine was invalid and a vote was not needed to return the money to the youth. Board member Fred Bronnenberg noted there’s no mention in fair regulations of a $50 fine for such an offense. Both parents received $50 checks from the fair office after the meeting adjourned.

Park County Commission Chair and board liaison Dossie Overfield said if the members want to have such a fine, they would need to add it to the fair book for next year. 

“The exhibitor needs to know that there will be a fine in place and the certain amount,” said Commissioner and fellow liaison Scott Mangold, adding, “It can’t just be arbitrary.”

As a board member, Skalsky attended the subsequent executive session, at which members of the public were asked to go in one at a time. Some of those present at last week’s meeting questioned why Skalsky was allowed to be present; Overfield explained that the format was determined by County Attorney Bryan Skoric.

After taking comments from a few different community members behind closed doors, the board deliberated for a lengthy period before reopening the meeting to the public.

While Skalsky resigned her position as goat barn superintendent, she remains a member of the fair advisory board. At least three of the letters had asked for her resignation from the board as well.

Skalsky has served on the board since 2015 and her current term expires in January 2028. Members of the board, who are unpaid, are appointed by the county commissioners.