Douglas County joins $12 million settlement with secondary opioid manufacturers

Douglas County commissioners voted unanimously Sept. 23 to sign participation forms to join a nationwide settlement with eight secondary opioid manufacturers, staff said. The settlement totals $12 million for Colorado and will be distributed under a statewide memorandum of understanding the county joined in August 2021.

How funds will be allocated: Staff said the statewide framework directs 60% of settlement proceeds to regional allocations, 20% to local governments, 10% to an infrastructure program and 10% to the state. County staff estimated Douglas County’s share will add roughly $350,000 to the region and local governments, with about $265,000 going to the region and approximately $88,000 to local governments directed to the county’s region.

Why it matters: Commissioners and staff framed the settlement as one additional stream building on prior opioid-related funds the region has received. County staff said participation is necessary to maximize local recoveries under the statewide agreement and that, like prior settlements, the funds will be distributed according to the MOU adopted by Colorado jurisdictions.

Action taken: The board approved the request for the county to sign the participation forms; the vote was unanimous. Staff did not present a specific spending plan for the new funds at the meeting.

Next steps: County staff will complete the participation formalities and the settlement funds will be distributed in accordance with the Colorado statewide MOU. The meeting did not specify implementation timelines or particular programmatic uses for the county’s share.