Despite cuts, Extension agency leader vows to continue services

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

September 4, 2003 -- With the 78th regular session of the Texas Legislature ended, several state-funded agricultural agencies across the state were hard hit.

Texas Cooperative Extension and the Texas A&M University System Agricultural Research and Extension Centers, both which fall under the Texas A&M University System, are two agencies that will feel the effects of the cuts; not only monetarily but also in personnel numbers.

When the 2003 legislature session ended, "(Extension) had a $2.1 million per year budget cut for 2004 and 2005," said Extension Director Dr. Chester Fehlis Jr. on Aug. 25.

Because of this cut, Extension decided to eliminate 110 positions throughout the state agency. The positions include 46 county agents (7 percent); 24 specialists (15 percent); 20 administrative and middle management (13 percent); and 20 professional, nonfaculty and other support (12 percent).

"It (the cuts) will hurt, but we are going to compensate to provide the many services we offer. The agency is still 90-plus percent intact. We have about 1,300 people in the whole organization," Fehlis explained.

Extension has had a "hiring freeze" for some time because they were expecting forthcoming budget cuts; which, according to Fehlis, was a positive move.

"We didn't have to fire anybody," he said. "The bottom line by doing that (hiring freeze) is we'll probably lose only 10 to 15 people."

The budget cut and the elimination of positions prompted some of the agency's personnel to retire.

"Professional faculty hired prior to Jan. 1, 1984, fell under the civil service appointment. I made an appeal to the federal civil service asking for early retirement for those individuals, which was granted. Out of the 182 still in federal civil service, 44, who meet certain criteria, took the early retirement," Fehlis explained.

All together, Extension will have 66 people retire.

As far as the open positions created from the retirements, Fehlis said some of the offices would be filled from "in-house" by current personnel whose positions were being eliminated. In early September, the hiring freeze will be off, and available positions will be posted, Fehlis added.

"If a person is interested in applying for a position, they can contact the district administrator at the district Extension and research center in their area, or contact the human resources department here in College Station," the director stated.

The experiment stations eliminated 58 positions - some of which were already vacant, according to Dr. Ed Hiler, vice-chancellor for agriculture at Texas A&M. Also, the satellite experiment stations (Yoakum, Angleton, and Munday) were closed earlier this year. The agency's budget for the stations was cut by $4.9 million.

"We are in a better position (in Texas) than the rest of the states," Hiler began. "Especially if we are trying to hire the very best."

He added, "What we are dealing with is to look very carefully at what we do. What is priority?"

Priority, which has become the name of the game throughout the entire A&M system, prompted Extension to begin restructuring their agency two years ago.

"Extension asked ourselves the question 'How do we ensure our programs are top quality to our customers, and meet the need of our customers?'," the director cited.

Extension's customers, or the general public, are educated on a wide variety of topics through Extension programs - whether it's a program on fire ant control, weight control, or raising an animal for livestock competition.

Fehlis said survey results showed the district directors were spending 85 percent of their time on administrative and personnel duties, and only 15 percent on programs. Which in turn, according to Fehlis, would be a problem in the future. The answer was a new program.

"The new program allows the regional program directors to spend 100 percent of their attention on the programs," he said.

The district administrators will in turn be in charge of such things as hiring, performance reviews, and supervising the county agents.

Extension is an agency known for being very helpful to the people in Texas, according to Rosemary Brizendine, first vice president of the Texas CattleWomen and an East Texas beef producer.

"We rely greatly on our Extension agents to get information out to us and for us. The agents keep us informed about beef cattle shortcourses, chemicals, cattle nutrition, bull selection and EPD information. They also offer pesticide training, pesticide manuals and classes. They identify strange weeds in our pastures and can tell whether that weed is poisonous or is okay to leave," Brizendine said.

"As far as the CattleWomen and Beef Ambassadors, the family and consumer sciences agents help us get needed information out to people about the importance of beef and how nutritious it is. It would be very difficult without these people," she added.

So, what is the outlook for Extension?

"We are going to continue to focus on educational programs for all high need, high profile areas. We are strongly committed to rural areas and to agriculture," Fehlis concluded.