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Atchison County extension seeks funding to add agent, proposes multi-county district
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Summary
Atchison County extension staff told commissioners they reached about 195 residents through 13 programs last year and asked the county to support forming or joining a multi-county extension district to fund a second agent and expand specialized programming.
Clarissa, an Atchison County extension agent, told the County Commission on April 14 that the extension reached roughly 195 community members through 13 programs last year and that 4-H membership increased. Clarissa said the office updated its website, modernized the county fair book, and is planning youth camps and a farmer respiratory-safety training program to address farm storage hazards.
The extension asked the commission to consider supporting a multi-county district that would pool resources with neighboring counties (proposed partners mentioned included Brown and Donovan counties) to fund an additional extension agent. Commissioners and extension staff discussed how a district would be governed and financed: Clarissa said a district would levy its own mill and that each participating county would determine its subsidy, while commissioners asked whether districting would save tax dollars or primarily add specialized skills and capacity.
Chair noted the board previously voted in favor of districting but met resistance from other counties; Clarissa said the goal is to add capacity (for example, a livestock or agronomy specialist) that a single-county agent cannot provide. Commissioners asked for details on budget impacts and whether the existing county office infrastructure would change; staff said local offices would remain while specialized agents traveled among participating counties.
No formal county action was taken on April 14. Commissioners requested follow-up information on likely county share amounts and the structure of any proposed district, and they discussed reaching out to neighboring county commissions to gauge interest. Clarissa said the extension will seek a county budget allocation and asked the commission to lobby for districting at the regional level.
Next steps: extension staff will provide budget estimates and follow up with commissioners about pursuing a districting agreement; no vote or contract was approved at the meeting.
