IRON MOUNTAIN — Dickinson County Board will meet with a Michigan State University Extension official to discuss the 4-H youth program and other Extension services after its Jan. 13 decision to deny county funding.

Commissioner Joe Stevens on Monday proposed the meeting with Extension District Director Paul Putnam, receiving support in a voice vote from commissioners Victoria Jakel and Kevin Sullivan. Board Chairman Dan Harrington voted no and Commissioner Peter Swanson was absent.

There was no discussion other than to confirm Putnam will be contacted to set a time and date. The action took place during a finance meeting chaired by Jakel.

The relationship between the county and MSU Extension has been uncertain since the board’s vote more than two months ago to remove $81,000 in Extension funding from the 2025 budget.

Putnam has addressed the board to seek further talks but until now has been denied. Stevens, the only board member to vote in favor of Extension funding, has also been rebuffed by Harrington in calling for a meeting.

Stevens is the only returning board member from 2024 when the county budget was approved. The other commissioners were newly elected in November and seated Jan. 1.

It was Harrington who proposed the funding elimination, citing voter rejection of MSU millage referendums in May 2015 and August 2016. In response to the board’s move, a number of citizens have spoken in support of the Extension and 4-H, while others have backed the funding cut.

Dickinson County ended Extension funding after the millage defeats but resumed it in 2022 and provided $75,000 in both 2023 and 2024. The money comes from the county’s share of adult-use marijuana state tax distributions, which totaled $177,259 in 2024 and rose to $232,915 this year. State and federal funding is the Extension’s main support, but counties help pay for programming to fit specific needs.

Besides providing for a full-time 4-H coordinator with an office at Bay College’s Iron Mountain campus, the Extension funding has expanded offerings from regional educators in other areas such as agriculture, health and nutrition, natural resources, community and family. Jessica Ice is the current 4-H coordinator, while community educator Libby Hansen began working on nutrition initiatives in Dickinson and Iron counties in May.

The county board on Feb. 24 received notice of a lawsuit filed by Jason Gibbs of Iron Mountain. Gibbs contends the decision to deny funds allocated to MSU Extension in the 2025 budget violates Michigan law because no budget amendment was proposed or passed. No court date has been set on the complaint, which would be heard by a judge outside of the county, Controller Brian Bousley said.