MONROE - Green County will likely not have a University of Wisconsin-Extension Agriculture Agent for the next year, Green County Board Chair Art Carter said Tuesday during the board's January meeting.
Discussion occurred during consideration of a resolution approving a contract for services from UW-Extension in 2018 for just over $116,200 to be paid in two installments in January and July. The contract was recommended to the board by the Green County Agriculture and Extension Education Committee.
Mark Mayer was the former agent and department head, but retired at the end of 2017. Carter not only noted that an agriculture agent will not be designated to Green County, he pointed out that the shared Family Living Educator position between Green and Lafayette County may be filled in the spring. The position, which helps in areas of parent education and provides information for families dealing with divorce or caring for aging relatives, has been vacant since the fall of 2016.
Funding cuts for the Extension program were included in the state 2015-17 budget, leaving administration scrambling to accommodate for the loss of revenue.
In March, while committees were still meeting to plan out a reorganization of staff to stretch the duties of a single director over a number of counties rather than one or two. Other positions were left vacant. Mayer also indicated costs to the county would increase while officials' input would likely be devalued as the restructuring took effect Jan. 1.
Discussion occurred during consideration of a resolution approving a contract for services from UW-Extension in 2018 for just over $116,200 to be paid in two installments in January and July. The contract was recommended to the board by the Green County Agriculture and Extension Education Committee.
Mark Mayer was the former agent and department head, but retired at the end of 2017. Carter not only noted that an agriculture agent will not be designated to Green County, he pointed out that the shared Family Living Educator position between Green and Lafayette County may be filled in the spring. The position, which helps in areas of parent education and provides information for families dealing with divorce or caring for aging relatives, has been vacant since the fall of 2016.
Funding cuts for the Extension program were included in the state 2015-17 budget, leaving administration scrambling to accommodate for the loss of revenue.
In March, while committees were still meeting to plan out a reorganization of staff to stretch the duties of a single director over a number of counties rather than one or two. Other positions were left vacant. Mayer also indicated costs to the county would increase while officials' input would likely be devalued as the restructuring took effect Jan. 1.