Commission creates restricted opioid settlement fund and moves $117,036.69 out of sundry

Morgan County commissioners voted July 1 to create a restricted fund for opioid settlement proceeds and to transfer $117,036.69 from county fund balance into the new account.

County finance staff explained that opioid-settlement monies previously were deposited into the county "sundry" (miscellaneous) account and had rolled into general fund balance over previous fiscal years. The staff packet attached to the agenda included a state law change that went into effect July 1 addressing treatment of those settlement dollars. Kate Becker said $117,036.69 is the amount staff asked the commission to move into a newly created opioid settlement fund (Fund 62); she also noted a recent deposit brought the total received so far to $119,006.35, which staff said they can correct into the new fund via a journal entry.

Commissioner Newton moved to establish Fund 62 and to authorize transfer of $117,036.69 from the fund balance into the new opioid settlement fund; Commissioner Fackrell seconded. The commission approved the motion on a recorded affirmative voice vote.

Staff said the transfer segregates restricted settlement proceeds from the sundry account and clarifies accounting going forward; the commission directed staff to complete accounting journal entries to move any later deposits into the restricted fund as appropriate.