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Chase County Conservation District asks commissioners to maintain $17,000 allocation; board discusses old CDs and replacing no-till drill
Summary
The Chase County Conservation District presented its FY26 budget request on June 16, asking the commissioners to maintain a $17,000 county allocation to support a district manager, public education and operations. District staff also raised the possibility of using old CD accounts to buy a larger no-till drill to serve producers.
Kristen Hughes, district manager for the Chase County Conservation District, presented the district's annual budget request and an overview of recent activity during the June 16 meeting of the Chase County Board of Commissioners. The district asked the county to maintain a $17,000 allocation for the coming year to cover a district manager salary, public education and day-to-day operations.
Why it matters: Conservation-district cost-share and resource projects bring state and federal funding into the county and support agricultural producers with practices such as rangeland tree removal, perennial-forage seedings and water-well development. The district's request helps sustain its local staff and education programs.
Hughes reviewed FY25 conservation activity and funding flows. She said the district received $34,000 from the state for FY26 under a changed matching ratio and listed program expenses for state cost-share, water resources and federal GDS funds that supported producer projects. Hughes said total project-related spending connected to the district was about $310,000 for the listed period.
District board members discussed potential uses for older certificate-of-deposit balances, including replacing or upgrading the district's 10-foot no-till drill with a larger model. Hughes said the funds'origins are unclear because some CDs are old; commissioners advised the district to return with the amount, proposed purchase price and the legal/accounting determination of whether county approval is required to spend those CD balances.
Commissioners said they would consider the $17,000 allocation while they finalize budgets. No direct vote occurred on the allocation during the June 16 meeting.
