The Delaware County Board of Commissioners on July 31 unanimously approved participation in national opioid settlements with pharmaceutical manufacturers and authorized the county administrator to cast voting instructions on the thirteenth amended chapter 11 plan for Purdue Pharma.

General counsel Erika Stuttler told commissioners the resolutions relate to the ongoing national opioid litigation and to a new plan in the Purdue bankruptcy. "There are a series of various pharmaceutical manufacturers who have entered into settlements," Stuttler said, and the board was being asked to sign participation forms. She said the Purdue matter is now in a new plan following appellate proceedings.

The board passed resolution 25-575 approving participation forms for the settlements and resolution 25-576 authorizing voting instructions in case number 19-23649 before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Commissioners Barb Lewis, Gary Merrill and Jeff Benton voted aye on both measures.

Stuttler told the board the county currently knows only its percentage share and not the actual dollar distribution. "We only know our percentage, but we won't know those actual dollar amounts until the whole settlement process is finalized," she said. Commissioners asked for timing; Stuttler said no date for distribution was certain.

The resolutions approved at the meeting do not themselves set distribution amounts; rather they allow county staff to participate in the settlement processes and to cast the county's votes or approvals as the bankruptcy process continues. The record shows the board's actions were procedural approvals to permit the county administrator to execute participation forms and to approve voting instructions under the bankruptcy plan.

Next steps noted by staff include waiting for finalization of the settlement process before receiving any specific payment amounts and monitoring related court proceedings in New York.