GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Taxpayer money could be supporting Brown County’s D.A.R.E. program for the first time in about 15 years.
A county committee is recommending setting aside money to help put the drug and alcohol education program back at full strength.
For the first time in more than a decade, Brown County’s D.A.R.E. program isn’t collecting money from parking cars at Packers games. Construction of the Packers’ Titletown District ended the long-time fundraiser.
Brown County supervisor Patrick Buckley spoke to WLUK
“They still have donations that come in, but it’s not as much and they haven’t found that continual source of revenue”
Between 2004 and 2015, parking cars west of Lambeau Field brought in an average of $243,898 a year.
That revenue was the main reason taxpayer money hasn’t been needed since 2000 to fund D.A.R.E.’s average annual budget of $225,000.
The concern of losing the parking money has had D.A.R.E. operating with only one officer. Normally there are two D.A.R.E. officers traveling to the county’s elementary schools, teaching kids why it’s important to resist drugs and alcohol.
Brown County supervisor Guy Zima is in favor of spending money for DARE.
“The county does very little in the area of prevention. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure they say.”
The county’s public safety committee is recommending setting aside $100,000 in next year’s sheriff’s budget so another D.A.R.E. officer can be added.
“There is a little bit of money left to continue to fund the one person for the next couple years, but it will be year by year to see if the county will continue to fund the second position,” said Buckley.
The hope is the sheriff’s department will use the next year to find funding sources to make up for the loss of Packer parking money.
“Some of us felt that since the Packers had provided these spaces that maybe they could find some room in their Packer charities on an ongoing basis to continue to fund it,” said Zima.
If a financial solution isn’t found, the county board will eventually have to decide if it wants taxpayer money to keep the program going.
