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Miguel Santana, the former Los Angeles city administrator who took on the task of overhauling the financially troubled nonprofit that runs the annual county fair in Pomona, has announced that he won’t seek an extension of his four-year contract at the Fairplex.

Santana started as president and chief executive of the Los Angeles County Fair Assn., which manages the Fairplex, in January 2017. He said the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the organization played a role in his decision, as did his plans for his future.

In May, the pandemic forced Santana to announce the cancellation of the 2020 Los Angeles County Fair for the first time since World War II. He said the Fairplex’s strained budget would benefit from cutting his salary, which started in 2017 at $485,000, with opportunities for 10% bonuses. After the pandemic hit, he and his staff cut their salaries by as much as 25%.

Santana said he now wants to focus his attention on issues of equity in Los Angeles.

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