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County attorney recommends joining Sandoz settlement; Johnson County estimate roughly $160,000
Summary
Assistant county attorney Nathan Peters told supervisors the county could receive an estimated $160,000 from the national Sandoz opioid settlement if Johnson County signs the participation form; the board agreed to add the item to the next meeting agenda for formal approval.
Assistant County Attorney Nathan Peters recommended that Johnson County sign a subdivision participation form to join the settlement agreement with Sandoz Incorporated (doing business as Sandoz) in ongoing opioid litigation. Peters said the settlement requires enough jurisdictions to participate to finalize payments and that, if the county joins, payments are expected to arrive in February 2026.
Why it matters: Participating jurisdictions receive a share of nationwide settlement funds. Peters reported a preliminary Johnson County estimate of around $160,000 from the Sandoz settlement, though he cautioned the figure could change.
Peters said participation is typically handled through an electronic portal the county's attorneys use; staff indicated Genevieve (county staff) is already set up on the portal. Peters also explained the county'level economics: litigating the county's own opioid claims separately would likely cost more than the anticipated recovery for a single county.
Supervisors asked whether the payment is a one-time disbursement; Peters said his understanding of this settlement was that the disbursement would not be an installment plan but that settlement structures vary. Peters also noted the overall Sandoz national settlement figure discussed was $99,500,000 and that the deadline to decide about participation is Sept. 30, 2025.
The board asked staff to place the participation form on the next formal meeting agenda for potential sign-on.
Ending: Staff will prepare the participation paperwork for board action at the next formal meeting and continue to track the settlement portal and timing.
