Commissioners move to clarify Drug Advisory Committee grant priorities after Lodi request overlooked

Discussion of the Drug Advisory Committee (McDAC) funding allocations prompted commissioners to say the county should refine how grant applications are evaluated after at least one applicant (the village of Lodi) was not included in recommended awards.

County staff explained the advisory group’s funding priorities: (1) the drug task force, (2) school resource officers (SROs), and (3) other requests. Commissioners were told that in the current cycle the drug task force reduced its request and remained the top priority, while some applicants in the 'other' category were not being funded because remaining dollars were directed to the two priorities.

One commissioner criticized the grant application language and process, calling it "misleading" if the third category is listed but effectively never funded. That commissioner urged a clearer, scored methodology for future cycles so departments and villages that apply understand their chances and the board avoids creating false expectations.

County staff and commissioners discussed two allocation options that were considered by the advisory group and noted that, if the Lodi request had been included in the formula, most applicants would have seen a 9%–22% increase in funding; the sheriff’s department was projected to see a small decrease under that scenario. The board agreed to form a committee or process to evaluate the application methodology and to recommend changes for the next round.

The board placed a preference on transparent scoring and clearer public guidance about priorities so applicants can make informed decisions before applying.