MAYVILLE – The majority and minority party leaders of the Chautauqua County legislature are throwing their support toward restoring funding for a youth education program in 2013.
Majority Leader Larry Barmore (R-Gerry) and minority leader Lori Cornell (D-Jamestown) announced Monday that they will work together to encourage the inclusion of 4H funding in the 2013 County Budget. The Leadership agrees with the correlation between 4H and our county’s economic future and contend that “zeroed out” funding in the current 2012 budget was shortsighted.
Up until 2007, county government had annually provided 4H with well over $100,000 in funding support. Then in 2007, the budget line was cut to $70,000 for the next four consecutive years, until getting further slashed to $25,000 in the 2011 budget. Under the current 2012 Budget, funding for 4H was eliminated altogether.
According to Cornell, the urgency for funding reinstatement was brought to her attention by 4H families during this year’s County Fair and confirmed in subsequent discussions with Chautauqua County’s 4H Director Emily Kidd. Without county support, 4H will eventually lose access to state and federal matching funds.
Cornell and Barmore plan to watch carefully for the status of 4H as the Legislature awaits the County Executive’s Budget proposal in the coming weeks and promise to be strong advocates for its inclusion.
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