MARSHFIELD, Wis (WSAU) — Marshfield’s Common Council has approved the transfer of $25,000 to the fight against heroin abuse in the city.
City administrator Steve Barg says the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation and the Marshfield Area Coalition for Youth are in the second year of a program to fight illegal drug use and that, “It’s part of their continuing effort to fight heroin, and also prescription drug abuse, in our community.”
Barg says the money to fight the heroin problem had already been budgeted for in this year’s city budget and is being transferred to the general fund law enforcement budget. “The city in it’s approval of its 2016 budget bumped up contingency by $25,000, with the idea that then this group could come forward and request allocation of those funds, for this purpose.”
Funding for the program lasts through 2017. Barg said, “As we go forward to future years, we should certainly be asking for some more outcome-based information as to how this group is doing, and I think a financial update too. This council has been very supportive of this effort, but I think that’s something we should for, as we go into future years.”
At a June meeting of the city’s Police and Fire Commission, Marshfield Police Chief Rick Gramza reported that drug arrests in the city are up by around 25% as compared to last year.
By Terry Pezl, WSAU.
