University of Florida extension office outlines services; commissioners debate county subsidy

JP Gellerman, director of the Pinellas County extension office, told commissioners that the county—s extension program delivers youth education (4‑H), Master Gardener volunteer training, stormwater and natural resource programs, and readily available university specialists who assist county departments on issues such as vegetation management and stormwater manuals.

Gellerman said the county—s financial contribution to the local extension is about $297,000 per year; he said the University of Florida/IFAS supplies a larger share of staff time and specialist support across the region. "We are a department of both UF and Pinellas County. We are a true collaboration," he said.

Commissioners praised the Master Gardener and 4‑H programs for volunteer impact—Gellerman said Master Gardeners contributed roughly 48,000 volunteer hours over five years—and asked whether a reduced county subsidy would risk the broader partnership. Paul Causey (Parks director) and commissioners noted UF experts have been used for technical reviews and best‑practice development in ways the county said would be costly to replicate in‑house.

Several commissioners asked staff to check with UF leadership about the university—s willingness to continue the relationship if the county reduced its financial contribution; legal staff noted the MOU includes a non‑funding clause that would allow the agreement to end on September 30 of the fiscal year for which funds are not approved. Several commissioners said they value the partnership for research, training and volunteer capacity, and asked staff to bring back more detailed information on line‑item benefits and options (including one‑year vs multi‑year affirmation arrangements) before any budget decision.