FAYETTEVILLE — Washington County’s Budget Committee of the Whole more than doubled the 2013 spending proposal compared to this year’s budget from the Circuit Court running the Washington/Madison County Drug Court.
Meeting Information
Next Budget Meeting
When: 5:30 p.m. Nov. 29
Where: Washington County Courthouse at the corner of Dickson Street and College Avenue
Expected discussion: Final 2013 revenue projections
The committee Thursday night finished reviewing all budget proposals from full-time elected officials and some of their department heads, including the Circuit Court Division IV, currently presided by Judge Chadd Mason and next year by Cristi Beaumont, who won Tuesday’s election.
Mason requested a $266,118 budget for next year compared to this year’s $131,184, or a $134,934 difference.
Mason requested an extra $135,000, under a new medical, dental, hospital line item.
The Division IV judge, along with the Ozark Recovery Center, administers the drug court program in addition to that judge’s other duties of presiding over other county cases, such as civil matters.
Drug court offers services for substance abuse, mental health and medical health, as well as employment and vocational services. Jobs and education are becoming an increasing focus of drug court services, Mason has said.
Mason said that $135,000 bump would help keep drug court afloat, despite recently receiving a $325,000 grant for 2013 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a federal program with a mission to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness.
“Had we not gotten the SAMHSA grant, I would be here today to tell you drug court is going to close unless y’all fund it,” Mason said.
Despite the grant, drug court still did not have enough revenue to operate its current services because of significant cuts from the Department of Community Correction, Mason said.
Washington County received $403,496 for the 2009-10 fiscal year from community correction, according to a document given to committee members from Kara Moore, executive director of the recovery center. That number dropped to $20,960 for the 2012-13 fiscal year that starts in July.
“I don’t ever want to go to the Legislature and grovel, which I’ve done since I’ve been on the bench,” Mason said. “I’ve been to meetings where they discussed drug court and applaud all the things we’re doing and all the money we’re saving. Then they give us no money to support it.”
Of the $325,000 grant, the recovery center can only use $67,176 directly to participants, according to Moore’s document. The remaining money is used to pay for residential and mental health services, treatment curriculum and supplies, and an electronic record system to be administered by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Moore said.
Drug court participants pay $40 per week for 44 weeks, or $1,760, to help pay for the clinical and drug testing services done by the recovery center. The actual cost of those services is $6,896.
Mason’s budget proposal was unanimously passed by all 13 justices of the peace, though Justices of the Peace Tom Lundstrum and Rex Bailey said they would seriously question supporting that same request next year.
“We’re creating better people on the tail end,” said Justice of the Peace Eva Madison. “If drug court is not there, we’re paying for them in the jail. So to me, I don’t know how much savings that is but I would much rather have somebody that’s working and a productive member of society, without a criminal conviction, than someone sitting in our jail that we’re paying for.”