CHARLOTTE, Mich. (WLNS) – The 4H group is asking Eaton County to maintain funding Michigan State College Extension as commissioners work by way of the finances.
The Eaton County Fee principally needed to begin from scratch with its finances to keep away from going into the crimson. Commissioners have needed to make some exhausting decisions, slicing 29 positions and reducing the finances by $8.4 million.
On Tuesday, the general public and affected departments shared their ideas on the place issues stand. Folks concerned in 4H meant enterprise, dominating public remark with many private testimonies of what this system has completed for them.
“I feel like I have grown as a person, honestly, cause I was in a really bad spot before 4H,” stated a present 4H member.
The member’s father agreed, saying this system has helped maintain his daughter heading in the right direction.
“Investing in 4h is an investment in the future of the county,” the daddy stated.
One other speaker broke into tears when sharing how 4H has formed and impacted her household’s lives. MSU Extension runs 4H and is without doubt one of the organizations dealing with severe funding cuts from Eaton County, a 99% minimize to be actual. MSU Extension officers stated this may trigger job positions to be misplaced and the closing of its Eaton County workplace.
Board Chair Jim Mott reassures those that this system will nonetheless be out there.
“It’s not going away.” Chairman Mott continued. “It will always be there because we have great residents that volunteer their time and money and put the effort in to make sure it’s run properly.”
4H was one of many few areas that the general public urged commissioners to rethink finances cuts on. One other was Clinton, Eaton, Ingham Neighborhood Psychological Well being Authority. The CEO, Sara Lurie, stated being left quick greater than $200,000 will trigger reductions to its county providers.
“We will eliminate the jail psychiatry time,” Lurie continued. “We also had plans to expand services in Eaton Rapids with the Eaton Rapids Medical Center and we have put that on hold.”
There are huge funding cuts to the sheriff’s workplace as effectively, resulting in no extra street patrols within the county. One resident stated this may disproportionately have an effect on rural areas.
“We have limited services that are available to us in the rural parts of the county,” stated the resident.
Chair Mott stated Tuesday’s finances assembly was an opportunity to put out the place the finances stands and listen to folks’s ideas, including that this course of has been no simple feat.
“This has been unprecedented; we as a board have never had to go through this before.”
The subsequent full board assembly is September seventeenth, the place commissioners will vote on a ultimate finances. That finances will then be finalized on September 30, 2025.
