Commissioners meet with Extension leadership on funding

The Highland County commissioners met with representatives from OSU Extension Friday morning to discuss options to keep the office, and its programs such as 4-H, open and thriving in Highland County. 

Ken Smith, director of Extension at OSU and Beverly Kelbaugh, the south eastern regional director for OSU Extension discussed the options available regarding Extension.

Commission president Shane Wilkin said, "We had some people who came in and we looked at options, basically, to see if we could keep funding them in the same amount."

Wilkin said the county provided approximately $50,000 to OSU Extension this year, $2,300 of which went to the Highland County Fair. 

"That left them with about $47,700," Wilkin said. "They asked if we could commit to the same amount of funding, and we said if our revenue stayed the same, we would probably be willing to do that. However, we said that if (Highland County Auditor) Bill Fawley tells us that our revenue is not going to be the same, that's a different situation."

Wilkin said it was a productive meeting and, "We've got an option on the table with discussions with some other counties on a regional deal that has been proposed."

Representatives from Brown and Clinton counties met with the Highland County commissioners during an Aug. 4 meeting to discuss funding options. It was said during the meeting that OSU "needed to do more" toward funding Extension. 

"We're here to discuss the OSU Extension and the trouble we're having in coming up with the money to fund it," Wilkin said Aug. 4. "We've been in the Top 3 (Ohio counties) in unemployment for many months. We've had layoffs in almost every office. There have been no raises. Few people are working 40 hours.

With that being said, our budget is strapped. ... Everybody's taking substantial cuts. We feel it's time to take a different approach."  

Wilkin said Friday that it's difficult coming up with a fair funding model, because each county contributes a different amount. He said they will be meeting again in the near future and, "Will hopefully come up with a proposal that will keep Extension and our 4-H programs going strong."