Extension delays levy decision
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
An initial request for a .4-mill tax levy for the Ohio State University/Highland County Extension was put on hold this week, after Extension Director Rose Fisher Merkowitz told commissioners the levy wouldn’t raise sufficient funds.
The Extension levy proposal for the May 4 primary comes one week after Highland County Commissioners Shane Wilkin, Tom Horst and Gary Heaton were asked to approve a .38-mill, five-year tax levy for the Highland County Soil and Water Conservation District.
The Extension levy committee voted for the .4-mill levy at a Tuesday meeting; however, on Wednesday, Merkowitz told commissioners: “I want you to understand that .4 is not enough funding to keep us at the current staffing level.
“There will be additional cuts.”
As first reported at www.highlandcountypress.com, commissioners predicted last month the county funds for the extension office may be reduced from $190,400 to a proposed $47,700, plus $2,300 for the Agricultural Society, for 2010.
The county is not mandated to fund the OSU Extension office.
A committee, co-chaired by Steve Dillon and Rich Graves, was formed to help the extension agency explore possible funding options. Tim Sheeley, who serves as the public relations chair for the committee, told The Highland County Press they decided on the .4 mills this week. “I think the committee felt that you {commissioners} would not approve more than .4 mills,” Merkowitz said. “I’m here to ask you to make this more than .4 mills. It’s not enough to get us through to 2015.”
Commissioners had prepared a resolution to be voted on this week, but Merkowitz asked the board to delay any action.
“I will get with the levy committee and ask for a new number. There’s nothing worse than running short with a levy,” Merkowitz said.
Commissioners agreed to table the resolution, but not before questioning Ohio State University’s commitment to Extension services.
“We hope that Ohio State University will take a greater responsibility in funding Extension,” Heaton said. “We want the 4-H program to continue. We support 4-H. But as commissioners, we are asking everyone to do more with less.”
“We have been,” Merkowitz replied.
“I feel we have to ask {taxpayers} for the absolute bare minimum,” Wilkin said.
“For us to go out – and it’s perceived that we are putting this levy on the ballot — I just think we have to keep it as low as possible. Maybe it’s time Ohio State looks at how they divvy up the money. We understand that you {in Extension} are Ohio State employees. When we put in dollars, we had an elected county official {Prosecutor Jim Grandey} who sat in the chair in front of you and said we are close to violating our oath of office. I can only assume he’s talking about Soil and Water and Extension.”
Wilkin said after meeting with Dr. Keith Smith, OSU Extension director, there’s “retooling that needs to be done on their {OSU’s} end. Changes to the approach are needed.”
Last month, commissioners met with Clinton County Administrator Dr. Mark Brooker, who sent a letter to the OSU Extension on behalf of Highland, Brown and Clinton counties. In a letter dated Dec. 16 to Dr. Smith, Brooker wrote: “It is with great concern that we write this letter regarding OSU Extension in our counties. The counties have supplied housing and paid for OSU Extension salaries for years. No input into the employee practices has ever been afforded to the supporting counties. Now, OSU Extension administration is asking for the counties to support OSU Extension at a level that we cannot afford...”
“As long as we can keep the program functioning, that is the key,” Merkowitz said. “I truly believe the program is important to the county.”
“We do, too,” Heaton said.
Commissioners then voted 3-0 to table the resolution.
After the vote, Horst pointed out again that “it’s not the commissioners who are putting on the levy. It has to come to us. We are asked to approve it. It’s the law.”
In other action, commissioners approved the following resolutions, all by 3-0 votes:
• The authorization of additional appropriation to the FY08 CDBG budget (T-4) as follow: from Unappropriated Funds to Expenses, in the amount of $35,000.
• A modification to the Community Probation budget and an advance to the Pre-Trial Supervision budget as follows: modification from Community Probation, Other to Advances Out, in the amount of $5,000, and advance from Comm. Probation, Advances Out to Pre-Trial Supervision, in the amount of $5,000.
• A modification to the Help-Me-Grow budget and a transfer to Help-Me-Grow (County) as follows: modification from Contracts & Services to Reimburse, in the amount of $29,407.66 and transfer from Help-Me-Grow, Reimburse to Help-Me-Grow (County) in the amount of $6,183.87.
• A correction to the Law Library 2010 budget appropriations as follows: Contracts/Services, $48,150, and Other Expense, $715.
• A correction to the Children Services Gift Fund 2010 budget as follows: from Allowances, $4,600, to Misc., $5,600, for a total of $10,200.
• A correction to the Children Services 2010 budget as follows: Salary Official, $66,492; Salary Employees, $312,984.28; Supplies, $8,000; Equipment (24-Hr. Emerg.), $6,000; Contracts/Repair, $7,000; Contracts/Services, $746,675.60; Travel, $28,000; PERS, $60,152; Workers Comp, $8,595; Unemployment, $18,000; Other Expense, $240; Other Child Care, $16,510; 24- Emerg. Intake, $0; Expense Account, $3,000; Health Insurance, $90,000; Transfers Out, $0; Emergency Fund Acct., $3,000; Advances Out, $0; Medicare, $6,231; Credit Card Use, $0; State GRF Funding, $32,307.72; Other Child Care Salary, 50,180, for a total of $1,483,368.
• A modification to the Rocky Fork Lake Sewer budget, from Contracts & Services to Other Expense, in the amount of $19,407.54.[[In-content Ad]]
The Extension levy proposal for the May 4 primary comes one week after Highland County Commissioners Shane Wilkin, Tom Horst and Gary Heaton were asked to approve a .38-mill, five-year tax levy for the Highland County Soil and Water Conservation District.
The Extension levy committee voted for the .4-mill levy at a Tuesday meeting; however, on Wednesday, Merkowitz told commissioners: “I want you to understand that .4 is not enough funding to keep us at the current staffing level.
“There will be additional cuts.”
As first reported at www.highlandcountypress.com, commissioners predicted last month the county funds for the extension office may be reduced from $190,400 to a proposed $47,700, plus $2,300 for the Agricultural Society, for 2010.
The county is not mandated to fund the OSU Extension office.
A committee, co-chaired by Steve Dillon and Rich Graves, was formed to help the extension agency explore possible funding options. Tim Sheeley, who serves as the public relations chair for the committee, told The Highland County Press they decided on the .4 mills this week. “I think the committee felt that you {commissioners} would not approve more than .4 mills,” Merkowitz said. “I’m here to ask you to make this more than .4 mills. It’s not enough to get us through to 2015.”
Commissioners had prepared a resolution to be voted on this week, but Merkowitz asked the board to delay any action.
“I will get with the levy committee and ask for a new number. There’s nothing worse than running short with a levy,” Merkowitz said.
Commissioners agreed to table the resolution, but not before questioning Ohio State University’s commitment to Extension services.
“We hope that Ohio State University will take a greater responsibility in funding Extension,” Heaton said. “We want the 4-H program to continue. We support 4-H. But as commissioners, we are asking everyone to do more with less.”
“We have been,” Merkowitz replied.
“I feel we have to ask {taxpayers} for the absolute bare minimum,” Wilkin said.
“For us to go out – and it’s perceived that we are putting this levy on the ballot — I just think we have to keep it as low as possible. Maybe it’s time Ohio State looks at how they divvy up the money. We understand that you {in Extension} are Ohio State employees. When we put in dollars, we had an elected county official {Prosecutor Jim Grandey} who sat in the chair in front of you and said we are close to violating our oath of office. I can only assume he’s talking about Soil and Water and Extension.”
Wilkin said after meeting with Dr. Keith Smith, OSU Extension director, there’s “retooling that needs to be done on their {OSU’s} end. Changes to the approach are needed.”
Last month, commissioners met with Clinton County Administrator Dr. Mark Brooker, who sent a letter to the OSU Extension on behalf of Highland, Brown and Clinton counties. In a letter dated Dec. 16 to Dr. Smith, Brooker wrote: “It is with great concern that we write this letter regarding OSU Extension in our counties. The counties have supplied housing and paid for OSU Extension salaries for years. No input into the employee practices has ever been afforded to the supporting counties. Now, OSU Extension administration is asking for the counties to support OSU Extension at a level that we cannot afford...”
“As long as we can keep the program functioning, that is the key,” Merkowitz said. “I truly believe the program is important to the county.”
“We do, too,” Heaton said.
Commissioners then voted 3-0 to table the resolution.
After the vote, Horst pointed out again that “it’s not the commissioners who are putting on the levy. It has to come to us. We are asked to approve it. It’s the law.”
In other action, commissioners approved the following resolutions, all by 3-0 votes:
• The authorization of additional appropriation to the FY08 CDBG budget (T-4) as follow: from Unappropriated Funds to Expenses, in the amount of $35,000.
• A modification to the Community Probation budget and an advance to the Pre-Trial Supervision budget as follows: modification from Community Probation, Other to Advances Out, in the amount of $5,000, and advance from Comm. Probation, Advances Out to Pre-Trial Supervision, in the amount of $5,000.
• A modification to the Help-Me-Grow budget and a transfer to Help-Me-Grow (County) as follows: modification from Contracts & Services to Reimburse, in the amount of $29,407.66 and transfer from Help-Me-Grow, Reimburse to Help-Me-Grow (County) in the amount of $6,183.87.
• A correction to the Law Library 2010 budget appropriations as follows: Contracts/Services, $48,150, and Other Expense, $715.
• A correction to the Children Services Gift Fund 2010 budget as follows: from Allowances, $4,600, to Misc., $5,600, for a total of $10,200.
• A correction to the Children Services 2010 budget as follows: Salary Official, $66,492; Salary Employees, $312,984.28; Supplies, $8,000; Equipment (24-Hr. Emerg.), $6,000; Contracts/Repair, $7,000; Contracts/Services, $746,675.60; Travel, $28,000; PERS, $60,152; Workers Comp, $8,595; Unemployment, $18,000; Other Expense, $240; Other Child Care, $16,510; 24- Emerg. Intake, $0; Expense Account, $3,000; Health Insurance, $90,000; Transfers Out, $0; Emergency Fund Acct., $3,000; Advances Out, $0; Medicare, $6,231; Credit Card Use, $0; State GRF Funding, $32,307.72; Other Child Care Salary, 50,180, for a total of $1,483,368.
• A modification to the Rocky Fork Lake Sewer budget, from Contracts & Services to Other Expense, in the amount of $19,407.54.[[In-content Ad]]