Over the past decades Lane County financial support for Extension has been steadily whittled away and the prospect of future county funding is slim to none.

Extension supporters want Lane County citizens to decide whether to fund Extension with a five-year property tax. 

But to get the issue on the ballot, the Commissioners must approve.  At their meeting, the Board took the big step of asking for measure language and scheduled a public hearing for November 24^th.  

“I think it’s real positive.  I think we’re very close to achieving our objective.”

Save Lane County Extension organizer Keith Miller thinks the community support is there.

“When we made a commitment to get 1000 signatures in support of Extension, I live in Junction City and in less than six hours on a Friday and Saturday morning, I got 50 signatures.  And it really amazed me because I had heard it was so difficult to get people to sign.”

The levy would raise about 1.2 million per year to cover Extension’s operational and programming costs.