Jefferson County Council Presses for Results From County-Supported Organizations
Extension seeks additional funding, port officials outline expansion needs, and economic development and tourism leaders explain their plans as budget season approaches.
By The Jefferson Review
What are Jefferson County taxpayers getting for the money invested in education, economic development, river commerce and tourism?
That question drove a roughly two-and-a-half-hour County Council work session featuring presentations from University of Missouri Extension, the Jefferson County Port Authority, the Economic Development Corporation and the Jefferson County Tourism Commission.
The session gave council members an opportunity to review the organizations’ work ahead of budget decisions. Presenters described services, investments and future plans, while council members asked how those efforts translate into measurable benefits for residents. No funding approvals were recorded in the session.
MU Extension representatives outlined programs ranging from agricultural assistance and youth development to nutrition education, small-business support and help using technology.
Steve Glauber, chairman of the Jefferson County MU Extension Council, said the county has provided $84,700 annually for approximately 15 years, along with office space. The university contributes more than $650,000 annually in staffing, he said.
Extension is seeking a little more than $10,000 in additional operating support to address rising expenses, plus $26,000 toward a youth program assistant. Glauber said the university would cover half the cost of that position, with local funding needed for the other half. The assistant would help expand programming in schools and other youth settings.
Representatives described classroom projects that allow students to hatch chickens, gardening programs, soil testing, health education and assistance for residents who need internet access for private appointments with their doctors. Family Nutrition Education Program Manager Gidget Mudd said an educator serving Jefferson County helped bring approximately $40,000 in infrastructure to three community gardens over the past several years.
Council members also heard from a young 4-H participant who described learning to budget through livestock projects and setting aside some auction proceeds for college.
Questions about Extension’s financial impact prompted discussion of a statewide study estimating approximately $13 in benefits for every dollar invested. Representatives emphasized that the figure was a statewide measure, rather than a calculation specific to Jefferson County, and said benefits such as improved health and money saved through technical advice can be difficult to track.
The Port Authority’s presentation focused on improvements to its Herculaneum operation and the challenges of expanding river commerce.
Port Authority Executive Director Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway said the authority purchased an operating 18-acre port site in September 2024, retaining the existing operators so customers continued receiving service. More than 250,000 tons of products were unloaded at the site in 2025, she said.
A $1.3 million material handler delivered in April 2025 reduced barge unloading time from approximately two days to half a day, according to the presentation. A new entrance road, awarded at a cost just under $2 million, was projected for completion in December 2026.
Additional storage remains a major obstacle to attracting customers. The existing storage facility is committed to one customer, limiting the authority’s ability to accommodate other products. Buchheit-Courtway said a $1 million grant intended to support additional storage was lost following state budget cuts, leaving officials searching for another funding source.
The authority also continues pursuing a container-on-vessel project and opportunities to bring passenger boats to Kimmswick. Those efforts remain dependent on partnerships, funding and, for passenger service, suitable river levels. Officials said the port currently unloads barges but does not load products for export.
When asked about return on investment, Buchheit-Courtway cited statewide economic-impact figures for Missouri public ports and acknowledged she could not provide a comparable figure specific to Jefferson County.
The most sustained questioning came during Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Ben Brown’s presentation of the organization’s strategic direction for 2027.
Brown described a greater emphasis on business retention and expansion: identifying barriers facing existing employers, connecting them with resources and helping them invest, hire and remain in the county. He said the EDC would continue pursuing new businesses while strengthening relationships with those already here.
“Helping an existing business go from four employees to six matters,” Brown said.
Council members repeatedly asked how many new businesses the organization had helped bring into Jefferson County. Brown reported 184 economic-impact contacts and outreach to 71 businesses during the previous year, but explained that those figures included existing businesses and were not a count of companies relocating to the county.
He did not provide a verified total of new businesses brought into the county during the exchange. He also described 27 requests for site information during the previous year that had not resulted in a successful placement, citing issues including site suitability and selection decisions.
Brown said the county provides approximately $86,000 in funding, with building support valued at another $112,000 annually. Council members questioned how to measure the results of that combined contribution.
EDC board leadership emphasized that supporting growing employers and preparing their workforce also constitute economic development. The discussion highlighted the importance of Jefferson College, coordination among local organizations and the time required to complete financing and expansion projects.
Tourism representatives concluded the evening with an overview of efforts to attract visitors to local shops, restaurants, wineries and community events.
The commission reported approval for $120,000 in dollar-for-dollar matching funds from the Missouri Department of Tourism for 2026–27. Its plans include a visitor magazine with an initial distribution of 10,000 copies and a $180,000 media campaign spanning radio, streaming television and digital advertising.
Representatives said more than 150 commercials had been produced during the previous two years, with participating businesses receiving videos without a separate charge.
One of the council members asked for an explanation of how digital advertising results are measured. Media representatives described using device-location data to identify audiences and track visits to promoted locations.
A Kimmswick Merchants Association representative said the partnership has expanded the community’s advertising options and helped reach visitors from farther away. She said the association’s $7,000 contribution becomes $14,000 through matching funds, while acknowledging that her observations about a broader customer base were anecdotal rather than a formal attendance calculation.
The presentations left council members with funding requests, expansion plans and competing ways to assess public value as they approach the county’s next budget decisions.
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