CAMARILLO : Further Study Urged for Anti-Drug Plan

Citing growing demands on Camarillo’s budget, including a requested $550,000 hike in the cost of police services, City Council members Wednesday asked for further study of a request that the city pay for an anti-drug program.

Council members referred the issue to a budget study session scheduled for June 4.

Last month, Pleasant Valley School District and Ventura County sheriff’s officials proposed that the city pay as much as $140,000 to bring the nationally known Drug Abuse Resistance and Education program to the school district. District officials have said they support the program but have no money to pay for it, and therefore turned to the city for help.

During an hourlong study session Wednesday, school district and sheriff’s officials said the initial $140,000 cost for the DARE program could be trimmed to $70,000 through a combination of grants and contributions from community groups.

But even with the reduction, the council would not immediately commit to funding the DARE program, agreeing instead to consider the request during its annual budget study meeting next month.

“For me, it will have to be a definite maybe,” said Councilman Stan Daily. “There’s only so much in the pot and our first responsibility has to be to the health, welfare and safety of our citizens.”

But Sue Eastman, a Pleasant Valley spokeswoman and teacher, said the program is worthy of the council’s support.

“We are dealing with human beings here,” Eastman said. “It’s very difficult to measure the effectiveness of programs like this. But we do know that we have seen some very positive results already at Camarillo Heights (School). We believe the city will be taking a cost-effective, proactive stance by supporting DARE.”

Camarillo Heights School, located just outside the city in unincorporated county territory, is the only elementary school in the district with a DARE program. The Sheriff’s Department pays for the bulk of that school’s program.