University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
2010
Review of County Delivery
Input from County Officials
Delivered to Steering Committee for Review of County Operations
August 16, 2010
BACKGROUND
• County official input solicited via e-mailed invitation
from ACCG Executive Director Ross King
• Invitation sent to 1000 county officials (commissioners,
clerks, managers/administrators)
• 244 completed surveys (response rate > 24%)
• Respondents represented 125 unique counties
(ranged from 1 response per county [N=58] to 12
responses per county [N=1])
• 9 respondents did not identify their county
Demographics of Responding Officials
Official Type
• 59.5% (138) Elected Officials
• 40.5% (94) Appointed Officials
• 12 respondents did not identify themselves
County Population
• 15.0% (35) “small” [ < 10,000]
• 59.2% (138) “medium” [10,000 – 50,000]
• 25.7% (60) “large” [ > 50,000]
• 11 respondents did not identify themselves
SURVEY QUESTIONS (41)
• Value of Extension program/service types (18)
• Value of Extension program/service delivery
methods (12)
• Return on Investment made in Extension (1)
• Extension staffing models (3)
• Potential collaboration with other counties (2)
• Extension funding strategies (1)
• Other (1)
• Demographics (3)
Value of Extension program/service types: 4-H
90.0%
Youth
83.9%
82.7%
78.9%
80.0%
75.6%
70.0%
60.0%
53.5%
51.0%
50.0%
42.1%
37.2%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Life Skills
Citizenship and Youth
Leadership
Youth in Agriculture
Science, Engineering, and
Technology (SET)
Rated 10
Rated 8-10
Value of Extension program/service types: FACS
80.0%
73.4%
71.6%
67.2%
70.0%
65.6%
67.0%
59.1%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
35.7%
32.9%
30.0%
30.3%
29.9%
Rated 10
26.3%
22.3%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Healthy Lifestyle Financial literacy
and Nutrition
Food safety and
Healthy
food preservation Relationship Skills
education
Quality child care
Housing
Education
Rated 8-10
Value of Extension program/service types: A&NR
80.0%
74.7%
74.4%
71.7%
70.0%
69.4%
65.2%
63.5%
56.9%
60.0%
53.0%
50.0%
40.0%
36.1%
34.9%
32.1%
30.0%
28.0%
27.6%
Rated 10
27.0%
20.2%
20.0%
18.5%
10.0%
0.0%
Conservation
Production
/ Sustainable
Agriculture
Agriculture
Agribusiness
Forestry
Pest
Management
/ Pesticide
Safety
Bioenergy
Urban
Organic
Agriculture
Agriculture
Rated 8-10
Return on Investment (by county size)
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
more than 100,000
50,000 - 100,000
25,000 - 50,000
10,000 - 25,000
0 - 10,000
Importance of Full-time CEC (by county size)
50
30
40
25
20
30
15
20
10
10
5
00
more than 100,000
50,000 - 100,000
25,000 - 50,000
10,000 - 25,000
0 - 10,000
Paraprofessionals in lieu of Agents (by county size)
20
15
10
5
0
more than 100,000
50,000 - 100,000
25,000 - 50,000
10,000 - 25,000
0 - 10,000
Willingness to collaborate in support of CEA’s (by county size)
20
15
10
5
0
more than 100,000
50,000 - 100,000
25,000 - 50,000
10,000 - 25,000
0 - 10,000
Willingness to collaborate in support of CEC’s (by county size)
20
15
10
5
0
more than 100,000
50,000 - 100,000
25,000 - 50,000
10,000 - 25,000
0 - 10,000
If Extension office were to be closed, which funding strategies
would you consider? (by county size)
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Increase amount of local county
funding 20-30%
more than 100,000
Maintain current funding but
collaborate with a neighboring
county to fund Extension personnel
50,000 - 100,000
Support a property tax levy
exclusively designated for
Extension
25,000 - 50,000
10,000 - 25,000
Increase user fees for Extension
programs and/or services
0 - 10,000
[ OPEN-ENDED: POSITIVE ]
“The service ____ County receives for the dollars spent on
our Extension Service is amazing. They manage to do so
much with so little. It is an incredibly popular agency in our
community and the thought that their head is always on the
"chopping block" when UGA officials look for cost savings
makes no sense to me. This is the one agency in almost
every county in Georgia that represents a presence of UGA
locally. I certainly hope there is a way to save the Extension
Service. It is the one local agency that is all positive
government in the eyes of the public.”
[ OPEN-ENDED: SUGGESTIVE ]
“In my opinion the extension service can be much
more viable entity if the county residents were
educated on the advantages and the services
offered.”
[ OPEN-ENDED: NEGATIVE ]
“I have constituents telling me all the time, ‘the
Extension Service is no longer needed with the
internet. 4-H should be funded by the school
system, not county government.’ ”