DARE FALLS VICTIM TO BROWN CO. BUDGET AX Anti-Drug Effort Loses $140,000 A Brown County committee sliced funding for the county's DARE program Monday night as part of an estimated $280,000 in cuts to the sheriff's department. The Public Safety Committee cut funding for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in half to $140,000 from the $280,000 in county support, saying school districts using the county-supported program need to contribute more to help keep the program as is next year. It was one of numerous cuts the committee is recommending the County Board approve for 2001 when it meets to discuss the budget Nov. 13. The DARE program includes a 16-week course taught by four sheriff's officers to some 3,000 students in Green Bay, Howard-Suamico, Denmark and Wrightstown schools, Sheriff Tom Hinz said. He voiced disappointment in the recommended cuts Monday night. "I think a lot of the cuts were made quickly and without a lot of thought put into them," he said. "We know the county is in a bad position right now. We cut $300,000 going into tonight's meeting." But when asked whether the proposed cuts would compromise public safety, Hinz said no. "Right now, we're OK," he said. In more than four hours of reviewing Hinz's proposed $24.6 million budget, the committee recommended numerous cuts in addition to the DARE program. County leaders cautioned that the figures are estimates, and they would calculate exact savings today: * Buy six patrol squad cars, some of which would be intermediate-sized, instead of 11 full-sized squad cars. Total savings: $92,500. * Buy six squad mobile radios instead of 12. Total savings: $14,100. * Replace the engine and transmission of an existing inmate transport van rather than buy a new van. Total savings: $14,150. * Buy three units of special radar equipment instead of six. Total savings: $6,495. * Fund Teen Court at last year's funding level of about $61,000 instead of estimated $70,000 that was proposed. Total savings: about $8,900. * Buy 15 of budgeted 30 new pistols using $13,000 in grant monies, which will come in at $2,000 less than $15,000 budgeted. Total savings: $5,250. County committees have trimmed more than $200,000 from County Executive Nancy Nusbaum's proposed $170 million spending plan, bringing total proposed cuts so far to almost $500,000. Nusbaum's proposed budget pushes the county to its tax levy-rate limit. A county committee already recommended restoring $185,000 from cuts proposed by Nusbaum to keep the Southwest library branch open for another year rather than close it. Proposed cuts to the sheriff's department may not be over yet. The Public Safety Committee plans to revisit a handful of items when it meets Thursday. County Supervisor Harold Kaye, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, said he's heard negative reviews about both DARE and Teen Court, which both started with outside monies but now rely more on the county for support. School district contributions to the DARE program will drop to $25,000 next year from $50,000 expected this year and $68,760 two budget years earlier, according to the budget. Some committee members said a funding cut would send a message to school districts that they need to help out. "We're at a point now when it's not a good year," said Supervisor James Schmitt, committee vice chairman. "We're cutting other programs, and since the funding has decreased by 50 percent, our budget should reflect that." Committee member Bret Bicoy was the only supervisor opposing the funding cut to DARE, saying he would support trying to work out a deal with the school districts over the next budget year. The vote on DARE was 4-1, with Kaye, Schmitt and Supervisors Patrick Moynihan Jr. and Guy Zima supporting the funding cut.
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