Representatives from Finney, Scott and Kearny counties met last week to discuss potentially districting their and Wichita County’s Kansas State University Research and Extension offices, a decision that would combine the resources of the four offices under an area governing board to expand the services available to all counties.
Finney County commissioners Larry Jones, Dave Jones and Bill Clifford discussed how the decision could affect the county and its taxpayers during the commissioner report section of their meeting Monday. Commissioners Duane Drees and Lon Pishny were not present.
Larry Jones said he thought the district route would bring Finney County residents better services, compared to the county’s “pretty woeful Extension service in the last few years.” If approved, the district, managed by a governing board of elected county representatives, would move Extension expenses out of the counties’ budgets and become its own taxable entity, with a mill rate equal to each county, said Jim Lindquist, associate director of KSU Research and Extension. Dave Jones said it may mean taxpayers would be liable tor an additional three-quarters of a mill.
(Read more: News – The Garden City Telegram)