County agriculture extension reports savings, proposes converting part-time position to full time
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Summary
Coffee Countys extension office told the Budget & Finance Committee on March 20 that a university benefits-rate change created about $21,000 in savings and the office proposes using the money to make a vacant part-time program assistant position full time.
The Coffee County agriculture extension office presented its fiscal year 2025-26 budget on March 20 and said a change in the partner universitys benefit-rate calculation produced roughly $21,000 in county savings that the office proposes to use to convert a vacant part-time program assistant role to full time.
Amy Fry Prince (agriculture extension agent) told the committee the university now applies a uniform benefits rate of 35.6 percent for regular employees and that the countys 40 percent share of benefits therefore resulted in a $21,000 reduction in the county contribution compared with prior calculations. She said she moved those savings into the vacant program assistant position because the office has had difficulty recruiting part-time workers and hopes a full-time role will improve retention and program delivery.
The extension office also reported lower contract costs for dead-livestock removal (a service used by rural residents) and said it is hosting a 12-passenger regional van that will be available to county agents for student and event transport; the county pays mileage when the van is used.
The committee accepted the presentation and had no objections to the proposed reallocation of savings into staffing.