Hot Springs County residents aren’t happy about deep cuts to the county’s budget, including to two beloved programs – 4-H and the county extension office.
County commissioners argued that they have no choice but to slash $2.1 million from the county budget.
They claim that the cuts are needed in the face of lagging oil and gas revenue in the county’s coffers, as well as a 25% cut in property taxes.
Among other cutbacks, Tatum Jordan, administrative assistant for the extension office, was laid off. And a roughly $7,600 line item — money used to fund travel and other expenses for 4-H events — could also be slashed.
County residents were looking for answers during a commission meeting in Thermopolis on Tuesday.
Commissioner Bob Aguiar was a leader in the county’s 4-H program for more than two decades but recently stepped down.
During the meeting, he said the program seemed to be struggling, noting that he found the office has frequently been closed.
“I stopped back multiple times on the days and the office was closed dark,” he said.
Mariam Erkinbaeva, who has two daughters in 4-H, said that her girls enjoy cake decorating and the shooting sports program.
She and other parents are doing what they can to keep 4-H going, Erkinbaeva said.
“We are selling raffle tickets and raising money, but it's not enough,” Erkinbaeva said. “I know the school has no funds and we need the 4H program for our children.”
Aguiar told the audience that the county must do some belt-tightening.
“The issue is about money. We have short money this year. We don't have the money we give for each (program),” he said.
“When we take it, from the moment we take more money from the fairground, we take more money from the library. I mean, I haven't found the money tree in the county yet, so I don't know what to do,” he added.
Job Loss
Jordan told Cowboy State Daily that the loss of her job took her household down to a single income, which will be challenging until she finds something else.
She and her husband have four children, including one who plans to start attending the University of Wyoming this fall.
“Thankfully, my husband is in a trade that is always going to be needed,” she said.
While the financial hardship on her household might be temporary, Jordan said cuts to 4-H and her services at the extension office will reverberate through the county.
Agriculture, particularly cattle and hay crops, are pivotal to the county’s economy and culture, Jordan said.
It’s going to have an effect on the entirety of the county. There are so many kids who don’t participate in sports, so it’s like 4-H is their sport of choice,” she said.
Jordan said some of the county commissioners seem to be against using taxpayer money for youth activities, but those activities are vital to holding the community together.
The cuts could leave Hot Springs County lagging behind others in Wyoming, he added.
“We would be the only county to not be fully operational, as we’re supposed to be, compared to other counties,” Jordan said.
A Place For Kids To Learn Work Ethic
County resident Mandy Wilson said 4-H sets rural kids like hers up for success.
“It's a way for kids to learn leadership and how to work together and community service,” said Wilson who serves as a 4-H leader.
“It's important to have it in the community, because those kids are the kids that are in the school district scoring the A's because they work hard, because they have a work ethic,” Wilson said.
“They'll take that work ethic that they learn from raising livestock and use it in the job market,” she added.
Extension Office A Knowledge Hub
Dawn Peil, the UW extension director at the Hot Springs County extension office, told Cowboy State Daily that cutting 4-H expenses could hobble the program.
As the average age of farmers and ranchers continues to increase, it’s important to keep the next generation engaged with agriculture through 4H, she said.
“These are the kids who are, hopefully, going to step up and do those jobs, to feed America,” Peil said.
And eliminating Jordan’s job hurts the extension office’s connection to the community, she added.
The extension office is constantly fielding calls from county residents seeking advice – about soil testing, water well testing, livestock deaths and numerous other subjects, Peil said.
“They’ll call us and ask us things such as, ‘Where can I dump my used motor oil?’ And we might not know all the answers, but we’ll call around until we find out,” she said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
