FARMINGTON – County commissioners voted 3-0 Tuesday to support a proposal for a tourism economic development educator for western Maine.
Rick Barr and Ray Corey, representing the University of Maine Franklin County Cooperative Extension, presented the concept to commissioners.
Barr said their program administrator asked them if the position was something that the county might want to see happen. The state cooperative extension is considering the position for either western Maine or Down East, Barr said.
Although the U-Maine Cooperative Extension would pay for the extension educator, the county would be responsible for finding office space and paying for a part-time secretary to support the position, Barr said.
Corey said that the clerical duties could be done in a 13-hour per week job, which would equal about $7,000, according to the estimate. If benefits are required, which he didn’t think necessary because of the part-time position, it could run $3,000 more, Corey said.
The extension educator would provide leadership in tourism economic development education programs. The person, who would be required to have a master’s degree, would work with several counties, not just Franklin County, Barr said.
Tourism is Maine’s largest industry with a wide economic disparity among Maine’s geographic regions, according to the proposal presented to commissioners.
In 2003, tourism generated $13.4 billion in sales of goods and services. In 2004, tourism provided for 176,633 jobs, generated $3.8 billion in wages and $530 million in tax revenues.
Commission Chairman Fred Hardy said that if the county had to raise the extension budget $10,000 next year, other departments may want to increase their budgets as well.
Barr said he was just bringing the proposal forward to see what commissioners thought about it.
“I thought it would be good for the county,” Barr said, adding that he understands the financial constraints facing the county.
The concept itself is great as long as someone else pays for it, Hardy said.
Barr said if the proposal goes forward for western Maine, they could ask other counties to share in the costs of the clerical work.
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