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Walworth County extension previews 2027 contract costs and federal grant developments
Summary
Committee heard a preview of 2027 extension budget drivers, including a roughly $300,000 co‑funded university contract with a 2% increase and $10,000 reduction in the draft, software subscriptions under consideration, and updates on Smith‑Lever funds and a possible Rural Health Transformation grant for community health workers.
Walworth County extension staff briefed the Agriculture Extension Education Committee on June 20 about the major cost drivers for the 2027 budget and recent federal grant developments that could affect programming.
The area director said the largest portion of the extension budget is the co‑funded contract with the university that underwrites most extension positions. She said the university has set a 2% increase this year and the draft contract contains a $10,000 subtraction, putting the total contract cost "just around... $300,000," which staff are building into the county budget.
Staff also proposed modest software additions to support outreach and registration: a registration system piloted this year (RecDesk) and a social media scheduling tool (Buffer). The area director said RecDesk has been embraced by the community and that staff had piloted it successfully for 4‑H registration.
On federal funding, the area director explained that Smith‑Lever federal funding had been awarded but the university had not accepted it because of contested terms; a federal judge issued a temporary injunction on enforcing those terms, and staff expect the university to accept the funding "in the next few months." She urged the committee to note the situation but said no county action is required until the university moves forward.
Separately, the area director described a grant opportunity through the Wisconsin Rural Health Transformation Program being led by the Health and Well‑being Institute that would place community health workers through extension. She said Walworth County Health and Human Services has expressed support and that any positions created would be run through the university rather than county payroll, similar to prior FoodWIse arrangements.
The committee discussed these budget drivers but did not vote on any budget items. Staff said they will return with the formal contract when it is ready for committee review later in the year.
