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Gage County extension office seeks to restore second associate through UNL partnership; board to review budget impacts
Summary
Gage County Extension educator Nicole Stoner told supervisors on May 14 that the office has hired a new full‑time associate through the University of Nebraska–Lincoln hiring system and is asking the board to consider restoring a second full‑time associate in next year’s budget.
Nicole Stoner, extension educator for the Gage County Extension Office, told the Board of Supervisors on May 14 that the office’s recently posted position drew about 30 applicants after the office moved the position to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) hiring system. Stoner said, “starting Monday, Jamie Fugate will be our new office associate at the Gage County Extension Office.”
Stoner said the move to a UNL interlocal improved the applicant pool and that the office is back to full hours (8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday) after temporary closures earlier in the year for plumbing work. She told supervisors the office plans modest purchases before fiscal year end (four wheeled folding tables, approximately $3,500) and intends to run two interns through UNL this summer using university invoicing procedures.
On next year’s budget, the extension office asked the board to consider restoring a second full-time office associate that the office historically had (two associates in 2022–23). Stoner said the requested increase reflects moving one position to UNL plus fringe benefits and that the full request, with fringe, would show as a near doubling of the office bottom line on paper. She told the board the UNL billing schedule means the county will not receive the university invoice for the new employee until July 15; supervisors noted that timing will shift accounting across fiscal years and may require transfers or other adjustments.
Supervisors asked for more detail on fringe-benefit estimates and emphasized that restoring a second associate would be considered during the county’s broader budget process. Supervisor remarks ranged from support for the staffing request towarnings that adding full-time salaries and fringe is “a hard sell” in the county budget; Stoner said she will provide more detailed fringe and salary figures to staff.
What’s next: The extension office will provide the board with clarified fringe-benefit calculations and the formal budget request for review during the county’s budget hearings. Stoner also said the office will proceed carefully on near-term purchases until the board confirms allowable uses for remaining FY25 funds.
