Montgomery Council Unanimously Approves Expanded Uses of Drug Forfeiture Funds Bill 35-09, Whose Chief Sponsor Was Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg, Will Allow Money Seized From Drug Criminals To Be Used for Drug Treatment and Prevention Programs
ROCKVILLE, Md., November 17, 2009—The Montgomery County Council today unanimously approved Expedited Bill 35-09 that will allow money seized from criminals convicted of drug-related crimes to be used for drug treatment and prevention programs. The bill, whose chief sponsor was Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg, was co-sponsored by Council President Phil Andrews, Council Vice President Roger Berliner and Councilmembers Marc Elrich, George Leventhal and Nancy Navarro.
The bill amends current law that restricts the use of Drug Enforcement Forfeiture Funds to “expenses related to enforcement of laws regarding controlled dangerous substances.”
The Drug Enforcement Forfeitures Fund (DEFF) contains money that is forfeited to the County under state law as drug-related contraband. The fund includes cash and the proceeds of the sale of real and personal property seized during drug enforcement actions. The DEFF had a balance of $2,686,145 at the beginning of Fiscal Year 2009 and had approximately $2.3 million at the beginning of FY10.
Councilmember Trachtenberg, who chairs the Council’s Management and Fiscal Policy Committee and serves on its Health and Human Services Committee, said a change in the law regarding how forfeited funds could be spent will be important as the County continues to face budget shortfalls that are impacting programs, such as drug prevention and drug treatment programs.
“Drug prevention and treatment programs, and the operation of the Drug Court, are important parts of a successful campaign to reduce the use of controlled dangerous substances,” said Councilmember Trachtenberg. “Recent severe shortfalls in County revenue make it important to look for alternative sources to fund these critical programs. It is hard to think of a better use of money seized from drug offenders than to allocate it toward people who want help for their drug-related problems.”
Allocating DEFF funds for drug treatment and prevention programs will increase the non-tax supported alternative funding available for these critical programs.
“This is a timely and most appropriate use of these funds,” said Council President Andrews. “At a time when we are forced to make difficult fiscal decisions, it is essential that critical programs such as rehabilitating drug offenders continue to have adequate funding.”
Expedited Bill 35-09 also will require quarterly reporting to the Council on the DEFF revenue and expenses. The Council is responsible for appropriating the funds in the DEFF. Regular reports will provide important information to help the Council in appropriating these funds in the most effective way.
The quarterly reports on the fund, which will be made by the Police Department, will include an update on the current balance in the fund, information on recent deposits from forfeitures and details on recent expenditures from the fund.
“This legislation is another example of good government,” said Council Vice President Berliner. “We need to carefully manage our scarce resources—now more than ever—and this bill is a step in the right direction.”
In September, the Montgomery County Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Advisory Council (AODAAC) unanimously adopted a motion in support of what has evolved to become Expedited Bill 35-09. The resolution read: “Whereas addiction treatment is crime prevention, therefore be it resolved that the Montgomery County Drug Enforcement Forfeiture Fund regulations be amended to include as an authorized use of funds ‘drug abuse treatment and prevention services.’”
Showing posts with label Drug Court. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Drug Court. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
At the Montgomery County Council Session
Montgomery Council to Address I-270 Transportation Issues, ICC Tolls
Also Drug Enforcement Fund, Nutritional Labeling, Health Impact Assessment for Road Projects
ROCKVILLE, Md., November 16, 2009—The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday, Nov. 17, will make recommendations to the Maryland State Highway Administration and the State Department of Transportation concerning the scope of possible expansion for I-270 and the mode of transportation that should be used for the proposed Corridor Cities Transitway that would extend from the Shady Grove Metro Station to Clarksburg. The Council also is expected to make recommendations in regard to the range of toll charges for the Intercounty Connector that is being built to link I-270 to I-95 in Laurel.
The Council’s day will start at 9:30 a.m. with the dedication of a mural in the Third Floor Conference Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. The mural, “Building Strong Communities,” was created by Project Youth ArtReach, a program with youthful offenders at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. The regular session will begin at 9:40 a.m. in the Third Floor Hearing Room.
The morning and afternoon sessions of the Council’s day will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM—Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon). The live broadcast also can be viewed via streaming through the County Web site at www.montgomerycountymd.gov. The broadcast will be repeated at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20.
During the morning session, the Council will discuss and take positions on several key issues concerning transportation in the I-270 corridor. In regard to the Corridor Cities Transitway, the Council will either recommend light rail or bus rapid transit over a dedicated line as the mode of transportation. The Council also will make a recommendation concerning expansion of I-270. Options include building two new lanes in each direction or building a total of two lanes that would be reversible depending upon the time of day.
The Council is expected to take action on Expedited Bill 35-09 would expand the possible uses for money seized from drug dealers and held in the County’s Drug Forfeiture Fund. The bill, whose chief sponsor is Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg, would allow the funds to be used for drug treatment programs and to help fund the County’s innovative drug court.
The Council also is scheduled to take action on Bill 19-07 that would require certain County restaurants to post nutritional information on menus and menu boards. The legislation, whose chief sponsor was Councilmember George Leventhal, has recently been amended recently to reflect provisions being discussed in a similar bill now being considered in Congress.
At 1:30 p.m., the Council will hold a public hearing on a proposed resolution that would require a health impact assessment before major road projects are allowed to proceed.
Also Drug Enforcement Fund, Nutritional Labeling, Health Impact Assessment for Road Projects
ROCKVILLE, Md., November 16, 2009—The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday, Nov. 17, will make recommendations to the Maryland State Highway Administration and the State Department of Transportation concerning the scope of possible expansion for I-270 and the mode of transportation that should be used for the proposed Corridor Cities Transitway that would extend from the Shady Grove Metro Station to Clarksburg. The Council also is expected to make recommendations in regard to the range of toll charges for the Intercounty Connector that is being built to link I-270 to I-95 in Laurel.
The Council’s day will start at 9:30 a.m. with the dedication of a mural in the Third Floor Conference Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. The mural, “Building Strong Communities,” was created by Project Youth ArtReach, a program with youthful offenders at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. The regular session will begin at 9:40 a.m. in the Third Floor Hearing Room.
The morning and afternoon sessions of the Council’s day will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM—Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon). The live broadcast also can be viewed via streaming through the County Web site at www.montgomerycountymd.gov. The broadcast will be repeated at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20.
During the morning session, the Council will discuss and take positions on several key issues concerning transportation in the I-270 corridor. In regard to the Corridor Cities Transitway, the Council will either recommend light rail or bus rapid transit over a dedicated line as the mode of transportation. The Council also will make a recommendation concerning expansion of I-270. Options include building two new lanes in each direction or building a total of two lanes that would be reversible depending upon the time of day.
The Council is expected to take action on Expedited Bill 35-09 would expand the possible uses for money seized from drug dealers and held in the County’s Drug Forfeiture Fund. The bill, whose chief sponsor is Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg, would allow the funds to be used for drug treatment programs and to help fund the County’s innovative drug court.
The Council also is scheduled to take action on Bill 19-07 that would require certain County restaurants to post nutritional information on menus and menu boards. The legislation, whose chief sponsor was Councilmember George Leventhal, has recently been amended recently to reflect provisions being discussed in a similar bill now being considered in Congress.
At 1:30 p.m., the Council will hold a public hearing on a proposed resolution that would require a health impact assessment before major road projects are allowed to proceed.
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