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Sedgwick County Extension warns budget cut imperils staffing, elder counseling program
Summary
Sedgwick County Extension leaders told county commissioners their 2025 budget includes a required hiring pause after a recent 10% county cut and that the Medicare counseling (SHIC) position is funded by county dollars and was at risk following the reduction.
Dr. Brantley, director of the Sedgwick County Extension office, told county commissioners at a Jan. 21 staff meeting that the office is operating with fewer agents after a county funding cut and that at least one adult-development position will be posted in February but had been at risk.
The Extension director presented a 32‑year funding history and a 2025 county budget worksheet showing salaries and wages of $853,000 and a total budget of about $1.5 million, with county appropriations covering roughly $742,000. She said county support is essential to pay agents and hourly program staff and described a recent 10% cut that eliminated flexibility in hiring.
The funding picture matters because Extension provides a broad program set—4‑H youth development, family and consumer sciences, agriculture and natural resources, and community vitality—and runs the Medicare SHIC counseling that serves thousands of older residents. At the meeting, the Extension director said SHIC oversight is a county‑funded agent role; KDADS grants and other funds cover part‑time coordinators and volunteer expenses, but the supervising agent’s salary comes from the county allocation.
Commissioners asked for details about in‑kind county support and other revenue. Lenjit Poberso, identified at the meeting as the county CFO, said facilities expenses (electricity, maintenance and staff) for the Extension building were tracked in a separate fund center and totaled about $247,000 in 2024; the county provides that facility support in addition to the direct appropriation. Extension board chair Janet Sprecher asked to be brought into the 2026 budget process early so the board can plan around possible future cuts.
K‑State representatives at the meeting, including Greg Hadley, K‑State’s state extension director, described statewide coordination and a new K‑State strategic emphasis on community engagement. Hadley noted Sedgwick County Extension’s volunteer footprint—about 43,000 volunteer hours—and said K‑State reimbursement for agent salaries follows a formula; across the state, K‑State covers roughly one‑third of agent salary and benefits for funded positions.
Commissioners pressed for clarity on who else provides SHIC counseling and how much of the county’s SHIC workload Extension carries. Jennifer Brantley and Hadley said Extension handles a large volume of counseling and operates the KDADS hotline for the region; other local providers—County Department on Aging, senior centers and some private providers—also do counseling but at lower volumes. Extension reported seeing about 2,000 counseling appointments and answering roughly 2,500 hotline calls in 2024, and estimated that its SHIC assistance produced Medicare enrollment savings for residents (the packet cited roughly $2.3 million saved in 2024).
The Extension team said they will post the open adult development/SHIC oversight agent position in February and asked the commission to consider the county’s combined direct and indirect support—direct appropriations plus facilities and services—when assessing the program’s budget needs. Commissioners said the item will be discussed further during budget work sessions.
The Extension presentation and question period closed with requests from commissioners that staff provide clearer, itemized funding and staffing numbers for subsequent budget discussions.
