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.