Jefferson County population is 760,000.  It is governed by a Mayor and Metro Council Members, one member for each of the twenty six districts.   With the largest county population in Kentucky, Jefferson County does not have a Cooperative Extension Service District Board tax and relies on the funds budgeted by the Louisville Metro Council and the University of Kentucky to provide educational program and services to residents.  The East Government Center where the Louisville Metro 5^th Division Police Department, Middletown Library and Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service is housed, was notified the building will be closed due to the Mayor’s budget cuts. This action has required the Cooperative Extension Service Office and other offices to be relocated.  Louisville Metro Facilities Director informed the Cooperative Extension Service that it doesn’t have any office space available.

The county agent responsible for fiscal matters has worked with the Mayor’s office and the Louisville Metro Council to insure the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service budget does not receive cuts to the FY 20 budget and requested additional funding for moving expenses.

The county agent met with several Louisville Metro Council members during the spring of 2019 to discuss Extension’s budget. Questions were asked of the agent to explain what the Cooperative Extension Service does, how it’s funded within Louisville Metro and how that money is spent. They also asked what other funding sources were available and how that money would be used.

As a result of these actions, the Metro Council recommended the Cooperative Extension Service budget would not be cut and that it would remain the same as previous years. Additional funding for moving expenses may come from individual Council’s District fund and would require individual requests. The Cooperative Extension Service District Board Tax was discussed in detail with some council members who asked to receive information about the process. The budget status for FY 20 will allow the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service to continue providing programs that improves lives of citizens in Louisville Metro/Jefferson County as well as potential funding to offset moving expenses.