Weekly Question: Do You Support Town Funding for WaylandCares?

It's budget season in Wayland, which means there are numbers galore flying around ... and just as many opinions about those numbers.

On Monday night, selectmen voted to support three budget initiatives -- funds for a new police officer, funds for a new firefighter/paramedic, and funds to allow WaylandCares to continue when its grant funding runs out in September.

The first two items, the new officer and new firefighter/paramedic, received unanimous support from selectmen. WaylandCares funding, however, generated sparks and, ultimately a 3-2 vote in its favor.

WaylandCares is requesting that the town provide $102,000 to sustain the organization, which focuses on youth substance abuse prevention. The funds would support two, part-time employees and would ideally be supplemented by additional grant dollars.

Three selectmen say WaylandCares is important to the town and should be supported by it, but two selectmen say they need more information about the program and aren't entirely sure it's the town's responsibility to fund it.

What do you think? Are you in favor of including a $102,000 line item in the Fiscal Year 2014 operating budget to support WaylandCares?