Committee backs rent hike for Luxemburg stock car races By Kevin Boneske For The News-Chronicle After being advised it couldn't assess a $1 surcharge in the pits, the Kewaunee County Promotions and Recreation Committee last week voted in favor of raising the nightly rent next year by $275 for the use of the grandstands during stock car races. Lakeshore Motorsports Promotions, which has completed the third year of its five-year contract with the county, has been paying rent at $1,600 per evening of racing at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds in Luxemburg. The county's financial figures show that the nightly rent, $1,125 for the use of the grandstands and $475 to use the concession stand, remained constant in the contract's first three years. County Promotions and Recreation director Mark Kanz said race promoter Rick Goral, who was not present for last week's committee meeting, asked that the rent not be raised next year and iindicated he would be willing to open the racing operation's books to the county, in order to justify his request for no rent increase. The committee, which is seeking to recoup an increase in costs at the fairgrounds, such as with the installation of new lights for grandstand events, last month favored a $1 surcharge to those watching the races from the pits, which committee chairman Jim Barlow said would have added around $250 per night to the county's coffers. However, while a rent hike to offset increased costs could be implemented with the contract, the committee agreed not to pursue a pit surcharge after discussing legal advice passed along from county Corporation Counsel Elma Anderson that the surcharge would amount to a change in the contract's language. The county has been assessing a $1 ticket surcharge to race fans watching from the grandstands, but not to those spectators who purchase the higher-priced "pit passes." The committee's recommendation to raise per evening rent for the grandstands to $1,400, while keeping the concession stand rent at $475, came after reviewing a list of rent charged at other facilities in the state for stock car racing. It listed Sturgeon Bay's weekly rent at $1,400, including utilities. While the committee had until Oct. 15 to make a decision on next year's rent, Kanz said the contract includes a provision in which the matter can go to arbitration, in the event the promoter wouldn't accept the county's rent offer, in order to be resolved.