A merger of the K-State Research and Extension offices in Douglas and Shawnee counties could be decided by the end of the week.

Trudy Rice, director of Douglas County K-State Research and Extension, said staff and executive board members wanted the merger because it would better serve both counties.

“It really would allow us to provide better service to more people without an increase in dollars in Douglas County,” she said.

The Douglas and Shawnee county commissions would have to approve a merger. Douglas County commissioners will hear a presentation tonight about the proposal and could vote on the matter. Shawnee County commissioners are slated to hear a similar presentation Thursday morning.

The merger wouldn’t involve layoffs, reallocation or budget cuts.

Merging the extension offices, however, would mean a new taxing authority.

By allowing the taxing authority, the commissioners would turn over their responsibility to finance the office to a new eight-member board.

Douglas County Commission Chairman Charles Jones said he was skeptical of the idea of setting up a new tax authority. He also said he thought the extension office relied too heavily on tax base support compared with other service organizations in the county.

The new taxing entity is one of the reasons Shawnee County Commissioner Marice Kane said she planned to vote against the merger.

“I don’t think this is the right government action at this time,” Kane said. “Why should you have to justify yourself by creating another taxing entity? If they are worth their salt, the commissioners will fund them. And if not, we won’t.”

Douglas County Commissioner Jere McElhaney said there could be benefits from the merger. Members would be elected to the extension district board, he said. Additionally, the board could only levy up to 2.5 mills in property tax each year, he said. The amount would equal about $43 annually in property tax for the owner of a $150,000 home.

“We have consolidated school districts and water districts,” he said. “There’s no reason we can’t consolidate extension services.”