The Fresno County Board of Supervisors agreed to a 2 percent increase over the UC Cooperative Extension budget request for the 2012-13 fiscal year, according to an article in The Business Journal.
The 2 percent increase follows several years of budget cuts. Cooperative Extension expenses for the 2012-13 year are estimated at $433,572. The county’s contribution is $294,796.
“Our budget probably won’t change,” said Stephen Vasquez, UCCE Cooperative Extension advisor and co-director. But it will be tight, he said.
In fact, UCCE in Fresno County faces another budget issue. A trust fund developed by grower donations that helped subsidize UCCE is running out.
According to another story published in The Business Journal, Fresno County Supervisor Phil Larson has agreed to work with UCCE to develop a new trust fund. Acting as a private individual and not in his capacity as supervisor, Larson has planned a luncheon meeting June 25 at the Downtown Club in Fresno. Various agricultural organizations will be invited to discuss how to start a new trust fund.