Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Utah County commissioners approve FY2018 beer-tax spending plan, add jail-based treatment and medication
Summary
The commission authorized the chair to sign the county—s FY2018 beer-tax plan, adding jail-based treatment and medication for substance-use disorders to the list of allowable uses; the plan is a placeholder until the state finalizes dollar amounts.
The Utah County Commission on Tuesday authorized the commission chair to sign the county—s FY2018 beer-tax plan after staff and commissioners agreed to add treatment-oriented uses to the draft plan.
Commissioner (Speaker 7) asked staff to summarize the plan and its purpose; Richard Danske of Utah County Drug and Alcohol said the document lists potential spending areas rather than fixed dollar amounts because the state does not provide final funding numbers until December. Danske said the plan traditionally funds prevention, law enforcement overtime and confinement, and that staff requested the addition of jail-based treatment and medication to ensure flexibility to address overdose risk for people leaving custody.
Speaker 7 moved that the commission authorize the chair to sign the FY2018 beer-tax plan with the noted additions for treatment and prevention; the motion was seconded and approved without recorded opposition (vote 3—0). Staff noted the plan is a template: precise allocations will depend on the state—s final grant amount.
Why it matters: Beer-tax funds are a recurring local resource used for substance-use prevention and enforcement; adding jail-based treatment and medication acknowledges county interest in using those funds to reduce post-release overdose risk. County staff said their change is intended to create flexibility rather than commit specific dollar amounts.
Next steps: Staff said the plan is due to the state on or about June 16 (as noted in the staff discussion) and that staff will incorporate the county—s final decisions when the state issues exact figures.
Quotes: "We like to spend everything we get," said Richard Danske, explaining the need for flexibility to move funds into prevention, treatment and medication supports. "This gives us some flexibility... for medications for people maybe coming out of the jail, prevent them from having an accidental overdose and dying in a week or two after they're released."
