Commissioner Scott Briggs brought up a comment made to him by a constituent, seeming to complain about the use of tax money to fund ESU scholarships when their own children had to pay their own way.
Briggs asked Garrett to justify the use of taxpayer dollars — the program uses sales tax money — for this purpose.
She responded that ESU was an economic driver for the area and the community.
“One of the other things that is absolutely true that I hear from business leaders is, it is extraordinarily difficult to find talent,” Garrett said. “We’ve got some great business in this area and, obviously, work hard to try to attract other businesses into Lyon County, and to do that you have to have a talent base. And when a student goes somewhere else to school, the likelihood that they will return here to Lyon County is diminished.”
Those who attend ESU, however, often remain here after graduation, she said, so offering scholarships benefits the county.
(Read more: Emporia Gazette)