By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois’ budget woes are so severe that the state’s general revenue fund can no longer be counted on to provide for the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s (IDOA) annual budget, according to IDOA Director Tom Jennings.
Jennings has proposed fee increases expected to raise nearly $3 million annually, and a reduction or elimination of funding for several state-supported agricultural programs, in order to help fund the department. The action was announced in response to Gov. Patrick Quinn’s proposed a $109.2 million budget for IDOA, down from $110.9 million in fiscal year 2009.
“We haven’t any choice,” Jennings told news sources. “We can’t continue to operate off the general revenue when we’re in the tank like we are.”
He was referring to Illinois’ massive debt load, which has reached some $9 billion dollars or more, depending on the source. Quinn supported the ag director’s plan, saying modest increases in fees will help to close the state’s budget gap.
“We’re going to have to do the best we can with reasonable fees to provide those services,” Quinn said during the Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB)’s recent legislative day in Springfield. “If we don’t do it, the state will be insolvent.”
Jennings’ proposal includes raising fees for 24 services including fuel pump inspections and pesticide applicator licenses. Costlier state fair admissions and charging for previously free services are part of the plan.
John Hawkins, IFB communications director, said the group isn’t dead-set against the increased fees as long as the funds are not redirected to other programs, as had occurred in the past.
“We’ve paid fees for special programs such as fertilizer education, safety programs and county fairs, and the previous administration would sweep the funds to pay for general state programs,” Hawkins said. “We want some kind of promise that won’t happen in the future.”
Jean Payne, president of the Illinois Chemical & Fertilizer Assoc. (IFCA), said the group is likewise not against the fee increases if the funds are properly directed. Increases in pesticide applicator licenses, she said, would be utilized to pay for inspectors to ensure compliance with pesticide and containment regulations.
“The fee increase for private applicators is $10, which equates to $3.33 per year since you only pay for the license every three years,” said Payne. “IFCA feels that as long as there is commitment to not sweep those funds, then we support reasonable fees to keep our products safe, our facilities inspected and in compliance and to assure overall stewardship in the industry.
“Right now there is no indication that any of the pesticide or fertilizer funds will be swept as was frequently done during the (previous Gov. Rod) Blagojevich administration.”
Ag-related programs facing funding cuts under the plan include the University of Illinois extension, whose funding comes through the IDOA budget. Youth educator funding would be trimmed to $1.713 million, down from $1.87 million, while Cook County’s extension program budget would be cut to $5 million from $5.36 million.
Soil and Water Conservation Districts would see a cut in both operations and cost-share funding to reduce their operating budget to just $7.3 million. Statewide, districts have already let go at least 42 full- and part-time employees while cutting costs by reducing office hours.
In addition, funding for the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research will be reduced from $2.275 million to $2.206 million. AgriAbility, a program that helps disabled farmers by purchasing special equipment for farming, saw its budget slightly reduced to $184,300.
Funding would be totally eliminated for the Farm Resource Center, an agency established in the late 1980s to counsel farmers suffering from financial and emotional strife during an active period of farm foreclosures.
Jennings’ proposal must gain the approval of the Illinois General Assembly before going to Quinn’s desk. |
