Sunday, August 12, 2012

Unspent DARE funds puny compared to $22.6M unspent

General fund packed with huge surpluses

Waco – In looking to cut $3 million in spending for next year's budget, County Commissioners put the DARE program on the choppping block first.

The thing is, with $51,877.82 left unspent in the General Fund, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program is miniscule when compared to the full scope of unspent funds accumulated in the current budget year's General Fund.

The total amount of unspent budgeted money in the General Fund as of mid-July totaled $22,611,833.66.

Certified Peace Officers visit schools and make children aware of the dangers of drugs. There are three such officers assigned to the unit, each equipped with a police cruiser fully outfitted with radios, emergency lighting and sirens, a mobile data terminal, and emergency gear. The cars are estimated at about $29,000, the extra gear at $10,000 each.

Judge Jim Lewis went on record in budget talks last week telling Chief Deputy Randy Plemons of the McLennan County Sheriff's Office that he feels the DARE program has outlived its usefulness. Schools offer the same curriculum and fund it on their own budgets. The Waco Independent School District does not participate in the program.


Dare compares with other unspent budgeted items in Sheriff's Office accounts of the General Fund, with Care and Feeding of Prisoners coming in at a hefty $3,196,451.55 and Fund 2200, “County Sheriff,” at $1,843,146.28.

General Expenses total nearly a million dollars in unspent funds at $994,060.29, Building Maintenance more than a half million at $577,092.27, and Juvenile Services Detention at $959,327.10 and Probation at $1,179,290.13.

Unspent funds in the County Welfare Services Account total $1,228,950.19 and in unspent Medicaid funds of $325,000.

3 comments:

  1. Why has the commissioners court been so hell bent on spending,because MASHEK,LEWIS,AND GIBSON HAVE BEEN AND ARE ALL DEMOCRATS.WAKE UP PEOPLE,THEN THEY CUT THE SMALL DEPARTMENTS AND LET THE COUNTY CLERK DO WHAT HE WANTS,SPEND AND GIVE HIS EMPLOYEES RAISES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR,AND LEWIS UPS HIS BUDGET AND HAS A BUDGET OFFICERS THAT RAISED HIS ASSISTANT AND HIMSELF BUT CUTS THE SMALL DEPARTMENTS.

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  2. I WISH THE COMMISSIONERS WOULD APPROVE THE ORIGINAL BUDGET AND LET THE COUNTY IMPROVE EVERYTHING AND GIVE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS EVERYTHING THEY WANT,WHAT IS THE HOLDUP,RAISE THE TAXES BECAUSE NOBODY CARES.DO THE RIGHT THING HOW.

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  3. ohi just love the tea party,they go to the courthouse every tuesday and report back to simon and walker and say hey we are realyy getin them to cut the budget.ha ha

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