County agriculture extension reports savings, proposes converting part-time position to 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.