Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Extension Budget Request topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
USU Extension requests $10,800 from Davis County to fund two county faculty and asks for 3% COLA for county-funded staff
Summary
Utah State University Extension told the Davis County Budget Committee it seeks $10,800 to fund two new county faculty positions (two $5,400 supplements) and requests a 3% cost-of-living increase for county-funded USU staff assistants; presenters emphasized new water‑quality and equine‑assisted services programs and said no formal county vote occurred at the meeting.
Utah State University Extension asked the Davis County Budget Committee on Oct. 1 for a modest increase to next year’s allocation to support two new county faculty positions and to provide a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for county-funded USU staff assistants. Justin Smith, a presenter identified in the transcript as representing Utah State University Extension, said the supplement would be $5,400 per new county faculty hire, or $10,800 in total, and that the Extension is also requesting a 3% COLA for staff funded through the county.
"So that'd be a $10,800 increase, for next year," Smith told commissioners when detailing the personnel request. He added that the Extension does not yet know the state’s final COLA decision and is asking the county to consider its projection when reviewing next year’s budget.
Why it matters: the request funds two roles Extension officials said will expand local services. Smith described one hire, Sarah Irwin, as a water‑quality and watershed position based at the Botanical Center who will oversee Utah Water Watch volunteers that monitor lakes, rivers and streams and log data used to flag algal blooms and other water‑quality concerns. The second hire was described as an equine‑assisted services faculty member to support therapy programs at the Kaysville arena for veterans and people with special needs.
Smith and the presenters stressed the programs’ community ties: the water‑quality position supports volunteer monitoring and local data collection, while the equine services hire will draw on an established Logan program and aims to work with veterans’ groups and suicide‑prevention efforts. The transcript notes the Extension already houses four mini horses on site for programming and plans to acquire larger animals when possible.
Committee members asked about merit increases versus COLA and about staffing retention. Smith said merit increases for staff are uncommon and that Extension has experienced ‘‘massive turnover’’ among staff assistants. He said staff assistants are USU employees whose pay is set to follow whatever COLA the county adopts for funded positions.
No formal motion or vote on the request was recorded during this presentation. Extension staff offered to provide follow-up details (for example, the exact county portion of O&M costs tied to the arena and year‑end revenue projections) at the commissioners’ request.
Next steps: County staff and commissioners will continue budget deliberations; Extension said it would follow up with requested financial projections and operational details to help the county evaluate the personnel and COLA requests.
