The state is considering a $350,000 cut statewide in the amount of funding drug enforcement task forces receive. Area law enforcement agencies believes even if the cut goes through, the local task force will remain in operation.
      Washington County Sheriff Jerry Dunbar said today that the state is considering a funding cut from the $45,000 that it provided the Louisa/Washington County Drug Task Force through the Byrne Grant. The amount of the cut has not been determined. He said that $60,000 from the counties and cities of Washington and Columbus Junction, and $15,000 from the task force enabled it to hire a full-time officer to focus on drug enforcement.
      "Typically they say that they are going to cut back funding," Dunbar said. "We have been getting a lot of positive feedback from the legislators who support what we are doing."
      Dunbar does not believe the funding will be cut severely. During a conference call last week with members of the legislature and other sheriffs from throughout the state, he said that he had suggested that the state decrease funding a certain percentage that would allow the drug enforcement efforts to continue. He said while the task force and the counties would have to make up the difference, there would be no layoffs.
      The Louisa/Washington County Drug Task Force has one full-time deputy, Eric Weber of the Washington County Sheriff's Department, assigned. The task force is comprised of Louisa County, Washington County, the City of Washington and the City of Columbus Junction.
      Washington Police Chief Greg Goodman said that funding for the task force has been cut in the past. He believes that even if the task force has to resort to using only part-time officers, it will still work.
      "Even with a full-time person, it still uses a lot of resources from local departments," he said. "We would be able to pull other resources from the department to work with the drug unit."