BUDGET GROUP SCRUTINIZING ANTI-DRUG PROGRAMS

Rising costs to handle an increasing inmate population along with a
new jail under construction have made the $21 million Brown County
Sheriff's Department budget one of the county's most scrutinized budgets.

With the county's 300-bed jail full, the department has about 184
inmates at other jails on a given day.

The department spends about $800,000 of county tax dollars on programs
deemed "discretionary," or not required by law, according to the department.

The sheriff's budget came up for discussion Thursday at a task force
meeting. The group aims to trim up to $4 million from the county's
spending plan and will review the county jail budget in detail next
week.

Among the discretionary programs are the D.A.R.E. and Brown County
Drug Task Force programs, both of which use a total of $519,558 in
county property tax dollars.

"I don't prioritize discretionary items," Sheriff Tom Hinz said,
referring to his budget. "This process is starting to become a morale
issue within our department. To sit here and say, 'This is a
low-priority' item isn't just, because I personally think all these
programs have high priority."

D.A.R.E.. which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is a
16-week course taught in schools by four sheriff's deputies. The
program uses $229,558 in county property tax dollars.

Hinz said that despite controversy over how effective it is, the
D.A.R.E. program works. More than 3,000 students are taught in the
program, he said.

Sue Todey, a Human Services Board member who also is a Green Bay
schools administrator, also spoke positively about the program.

"If we catch the kids at the front end before they start this downward
spiral, we'd save a whole lot of money and a whole lot of heartache,"
she said. "These programs do work."

Another program deemed discretionary is the drug task force, which
uses $290,000 in county tax dollars.

The program involves officers from Green Bay, the Oneida Tribe of
Indians and the state in the investigation of drug crimes throughout
the county.

Looking through the department's staffing list, state Rep. Frank
Lasee, a member of the task force, suggested the number of officers on
patrol seemed high, as did the number of sergeants and
lieutenants.

"In my opinion, the sheriff's budget is fat," said Lasee,
R-Bellevue.

Lasee also suggested the task force look to make things more efficient
in existing budgets rather than just recommending to cut programs.

Greg Kuehl, the county's director of management and budget, said
Lasee's suggestion could be a long-term objective, but it won't solve
the problem.

He said the group's mission is to "come up with $4 million in levy
reductions for next year."

In other business, the task force agreed to form a subcommittee to
gather information about each department budget and start compiling a
report.

The subcommittee, made up of people who don't work for Brown County,
will meet after each task force meeting.