Due to the reduction in state appropriations to the Cooperative Extension
Service, the ability to achieve its stated mission of delivering
unbiased science based information to the citizens of Georgia has
been severely compromised.
- State appropriations have been reduced 22.4% ($9,064,062) since
FY’02
- Personnel have been reduced by 44% from 1991 to 2005
- 475 Equivalent Full Time faculty and staff have been eliminated
(284 were county extension agents and 104 were specialists)
- Eight
counties have no extension agents
- Funding for the Bamboo Farm & Coastal Gardens was shifted
to the Chatham County Government
- Extension Districts were reduced
in number from 5 to 4
- User Fees have been established to recover
the cost for all laboratory tests associated with the Agricultural
Services Lab
- User Fees have increased for all 4-H Facilities and
Camps
- Lack of non-personal dollars for operating has resulted in
a reduction in postage, travel, training, and programmatic efforts
in Agriculture & Natural
Resources, 4-H, and Family & Consumer Sciences
Failure to apply the “payroll shift” employed by the General
Assembly to meet the FY’05 budget translates to a $1,467,813
or 3.9% additional budget cut for CES. This reduction will be met
through attrition.
The projected FY’06 budget cut of 3% will equate to $998,353
for CES. All known vacancies will be used to meet the FY’05
payroll shift. Therefore, future vacancies from all program areas
will be used to meet the projected 3% cut. Authorization will be
needed to eliminate low priority programs [faculty] in order to
meet this projected cut.
(Budgets/Impact of Budget Cuts; September 27, 2004;
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