COMBAT PAY

Jackson County COMBAT commissioners on Tuesday recommended $1.6
million in funding for drug prevention programs in 2004.

The money from the county's anti-drug sales tax would go to 42 drug
prevention programs throughout the county. The funding must be
approved by the Jackson County Legislature, which is scheduled to
discuss the recommendations at its Dec. 15 meeting.

The amount recommended for the prevention programs for next year is
about equal to 2003's allocation. In all, 58 prevention programs
requested about $3.9 million in COMBAT funding for 2004. Officials
were unable to meet all of those requests, saying sales tax revenues
probably will drop next year.

The anti-drug tax pays for law enforcement and treatment
programs.