Olive Branch aldermen direct staff to draft interlocal to consider 2027 opioid-settlement funds for DeSoto County treatment facility
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Summary
The board voted to instruct city staff to prepare an interlocal agreement that would commit the city’s projected 2027 opioid-settlement payment (approximately $33,826) — not to exceed $35,000 — for the county’s planned 16‑bed treatment center; final approval would require a later vote on the specific agreement.
Olive Branch — The Board of Aldermen on Sept. 16 directed city staff to draft an interlocal agreement to consider committing the city’s projected 2027 opioid-settlement payment to a DeSoto County plan to build a 16-bed behavioral health and substance-use facility.
What the board voted to do: By motion, aldermen asked the city attorney and finance staff to prepare an interlocal agreement that would designate the city’s FY2027 opioid‑settlement payment for the county project. The board instructed staff to cap the draft amount at an agreed ceiling (not to exceed $35,000) tied to the projected FY2027 payment; the board will vote on any final interlocal when it returns.
Context and rationale: DeSoto County is proposing a roughly $4.2 million renovation to create a 16‑bed center for short-term housing and treatment for people with acute behavioral‑health or substance‑use needs. The county has asked cities in DeSoto County to partner on funding. Mayor Kenneth R. Adams and board members discussed past city uses of opioid‑settlement funds (ambulance purchases for EMS) and noted the county’s request is modest relative to the project cost but could be a meaningful partnership for county services that affect city residents.
Numbers and mechanics: Olive Branch receives an annual distribution as part of a state settlement; the board and staff used the city’s projected 2027 payment of roughly $33,826.38 as the baseline. The board instructed staff to prepare an interlocal referencing that projected amount and to allow final adjustment to match actuals when the FY2027 payment is made.
Why it matters: The proposed facility would provide regional short‑term capacity for mental‑health and substance‑use crises that currently sometimes require travel to facilities outside DeSoto County; the city’s contribution would be a small part of overall funding but signals municipal support in a countywide partnership.
Next steps: Staff will draft the interlocal agreement specifying the exact dollar commitment (and any performance terms); the board must approve the final interlocal before funds would be transferred. The motion limited the commitment to the 2027 payment and requested staff return with a draft for board approval.
Quotations in context: Mayor Adams summarized the city’s previous uses of settlement funds: the city "has been using it to buy ambulances" and "we buy one a year to try to keep them current." Alderman Dickerson moved the direction to draft an interlocal agreement; the motion passed with board support.
