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Cuts Could Hurt
Extension Office
Extension agent Helen Smith reported she was “shocked” by the size of cuts in Gov. George Allen’s budget proposal Monday. “I knew we would get cut, but I didn’t anticipate it being this severe,” she said.
According to information from William Allen, head of extension at Virginia Tech, cuts in extension funding will mean as many as 275 extension staff may lose their jobs.
Funds were restored to the current budget for extension enabling the county to hire agriculture and natural resources agent Kenner Love, but there was already a proposed $600,000 cut in extension for the upcoming fiscal year. The extension service was rallying its suporters to try to get the $600,000 restored by encouraging supporters to speak at the series of hearings on the budget scheduled to start next Wednesday when word came that cuts would be increased by $7,3 million, bringing the total reduction to $7.9 million.
“Guts of this magnitude make it unlikely that the local office structure can be maintained,” according to Dr. Allen’s memo to extension offices.
Hearings on the proposals for the next budget will be held Wednesday, Dec. 28 at Richlands and Martinsville, at noon Thursday, Dec. 29, at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, at noon Wednesday, January 4 at the Augusta County Government Center in Verona, and on Thursday, January 5 in Williamsburg and Richmond.
The General Assembly is due to meet on January 11 for a session that runs through Feb. 25 to consider amendments to the next fiscal year’s budget as well as other proposals.
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