Mayor John Cooper will support the appointment of Falon Veit Scott, a contractor for Bristol Motor Speedway, to fill Sheri Weiner’s vacant spot on the Fair Commissioners Board. The Metro Council will consider the appointment Tuesday. Weiner stepped down from her position as board chair on Aug. 1 while running unopposed to represent District 22 on the Metro Council, a race she won two days later.
Scott, whose events company counts Bristol as a client, did not list any conflicts of interest on her application to serve on the Fair Commissioners Board. She has worked with Bristol since at least 2018 according to the company’s posts on social media. Lacking support to get the NASCAR deal across the finish line this term, Bristol announced last week that it would pause efforts to seek final approval for a lease until a new mayor had taken office. Alice Rolli has expressed support for the deal, while Freddie O’Connell opposes the track overhaul. The two face each other on Sept. 14 in the mayoral runoff.
The Fair Commissioners Board has been at the center of debate around the proposed overhaul of the Fairgrounds Speedway. The mayor’s office and Bristol have spent several years negotiating a plan to make the site NASCAR-ready, the terms of which were narrowly approved by the Fair Board in March. New or updated lease terms would come before the Fair Board for approval, leaving Scott to review a city lease with Bristol while the two maintain a private professional relationship.
Weiner, a supporter of the NASCAR deal, told colleagues during the board’s June meeting that she was leaving her position early to maintain “continuity and stability” going forward. She indicated that the lead time would help the current administration find a suitable replacement before Cooper, who negotiated the NASCAR deal, leaves office in September.
Per an email response, Scott is not available to discuss the matter with the Scene and declined to provide written comment. The mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
