W
ashington County Commissioners Nick Sherman and Electra Janis are defending the decision to hold this month's Real Estate Expo, citing revenue from sponsorships and vendors that will likely break even or make a profit. The event generated $96,500 in revenue from sponsorships and received a $17,000 tourism grant, which should cover costs associated with the event.

    Commissioner Sherman said the county is looking to make money from the expo, but any profits will be put into an account for next year's event. He emphasized that the goal is to have enough funds to pay upfront fees for future expos. The total cost of the event has not been released, but preliminary costs are estimated at $66,281.

    The county used blight mitigation funds to cover some upfront costs, including $30,000 for HGTV star Hilary Farr's appearance as keynote speaker. Sherman and Janis argued that using these funds was necessary to make the event a success, and they expect the account to be repaid with sponsorship and vendor fees.

    Both commissioners praised the expo's success and defended their decision against criticism from Democratic Commissioner Larry Maggi, who has raised concerns about transparency and asked for an audit. Sherman and Janis suggested that Maggi should have participated in planning meetings to address his questions, but he said he was uncomfortable with the idea of the county organizing such an event.

    Maggi expressed concerns about using county workers to organize and prepare for the expo, as well as soliciting vendors for money from companies that do business with the county. Despite these concerns, Sherman expects the county to hold a similar event in 2026, building on lessons learned from this year's inaugural expo.