After filling budget gaps with federal stimulus dollars for more than two years, the University of Tennessee Extension office announced Thursday its long-awaited restructuring plan.
The agricultural support agency used $5.4 million in stimulus funds since 2008 to make up for state cuts in its $61 million budget. Now plans call for UT Extension to trim 60 positions statewide and save $3 million.
Hamilton County, which along with Knox County had the largest staff cuts in the eastern part of the state, will lose two of five positions. Bradley, McMinn and Meigs counties will lose one each.
“The loss of this many positions may require that we carefully consider our program offerings and how to deliver them,” said Tim Cross, dean of UT Extension, in a statement. “Nobody wants to do this.”
Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger said he’s been assured the permanent loss of extension agents won’t hurt future agricultural services in the county.
“We are hoping the level [of service] doesn’t drop off,” Coppinger said.
UT Extension agents help farmers grow or raise their products and increase their profits by educating producers on technology, practices and industry standards. Agents also run 4-H programs in local schools and operate educational programs about healthy cooking, gardening, landscaping and financial planning.
BY THE NUMBERS19: Counties in the eastern region of Tennessee weren’t affected by job cuts2: Positions will be cut from Hamilton County1: Positions to be cut each in Bradley, McMinn and Meigs counties87: Extension agents that will be left in the eastern part of TennesseeSource: UT Extension
The UT Institute of Agriculture, which oversees the state’s extension services, has offered retirement incentives to extension employees for the last two years.
Last year, between 20 and 25 agents left the field, and in 2009, 41 extension employees were offered incentives to retire.
Many of the positions being cut already were vacant, including the two from Hamilton County.
But 19 were filled. Cross said he hopes to move them to positions in other counties that were left with holes after the mass retirements, if those counties will sign off on the hires.
“My goal is that we would place every one, and I think that is highly likely,” Cross said.
Larry Mitchell, who has worked as an extension agent in Bradley and Meigs counties for 21 years, said he was shocked when he was told Wednesday his position would no longer exist.
“I kind of got blindsided by this deal,” said Mitchell.
The cut leaves Mitchell without job security and seven years away from retirement, and it leaves the county without a liaison or educator for its farmers, he said.
Under the restructuring, Meigs County will have one agent. Twenty percent of his job will be covered by another agent in McMinn County, Mitchell said.
“We have as much beef cattle in the county as we do people,” he said. “We will have, in Meigs County, the least amount of agricultural-related support of any county in the state. It kind of puts the folks in a bad position.”