Mayor Paul Solgin broadened the city's downtown alcohol policy coordinator to further address citywide drug problems Tuesday, after UW-Madison decided to discontinue funding for the position.
Soglin allotted a portion of the city's operating budget to completely fund the position, which primarily acts as a resource to downtown bar owners, oversees liquor license processes and recommends alcohol policy changes to various committees.
In the past, funding for the coordinator was split 50-50 between the city and the university.
Soglin said the city has ""problems of substance abuse that goes far beyond alcohol,"" and that ""problems with licensed establishments are not limited to downtown.""
Soglin said the city would still include the university in discussions despite the end of joint funding.
Vice Chancellor Vince Sweeny said UW-Madison determined it could use that money more effectively to deal with alcohol issues on campus by spending it internally and redirecting funding to support university-affiliated alcohol programs.
""The original funding for the position was at a time when the Halloween events were somewhat troublesome, and everybody was trying to scramble to figure out answers to try and deal with that,"" Sweeny said.
The university will no longer fund the position after July 1 of next year.
Sweeney said most of the funding would go towards the BASICS program, a new program for students who violate the university's alcohol policy.
""We thought this would be a better use of those funds,"" Sweeny said.
