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Board approves joint application to Opioid Abatement Authority for regional mobile response unit
Summary
The Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors voted to join four neighboring jurisdictions to apply for cooperative opioid abatement funds to create a regional mobile response unit and related services, committing an estimated local contribution of $23,540.60 annually for five years if the grant is awarded.
The Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Feb. 18 to join Prince George County, Surry County, Sussex County and the city of Hopewell in a cooperative application to the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority to fund a regional mobile response unit and complementary services.
County Attorney Mr. Thylacithole described the proposal as a regional mobile response unit “to dedicate certified peer recovery specialist staff to be housed at D 19” that would respond to opioid overdoses and coordinate referrals to treatment, recovery services, medication-assisted treatment and harm-reduction resources. He said the cooperative application targets a regional pot of money that the Opioid Abatement Authority sets aside for multi-jurisdiction projects.
The agreement before the board commits each participating locality to apply together and, if funded, to enter a later operating agreement that specifies roles and responsibilities. Dinwiddie’s estimated annual contribution for the project is $23,540.60 for each fiscal year between 2026 and 2030; that figure is derived from the county’s individual-distribution and “gold standard” allocations spread across five years, Mr. Thylacithole said. He also noted that the county’s direct litigation settlement funds previously received have largely been used for a restart of the DARE program and that those direct funds were being held separate from this regional proposal.
Supervisor Daniel D. Lee asked whether the county would qualify for the “gold standard” bonus (additional funds for jurisdictions that restrict grant spending to opioid-abatement activities); Mr. Thylacithole said the county would be operating under the rule that it would become a gold-standard community, which he and outside counsel recommended because it narrows permissible uses to opioid-abatement activities and increases available funds.
The cooperative application is due to the Opioid Abatement Authority by April 1. The board approved a resolution and binding five-year commitment (subject to future appropriations) to proceed with the cooperative application; the vote was unanimous.
If the application is favorably received by the authority, the jurisdictions will return with a detailed operating agreement for each governing body’s approval.
Ending: The regional project is designed to provide a coordinated, cross-jurisdiction response to overdoses and expand access to treatment; the county’s financial commitment, if funded, will be limited to the period and amounts listed in the application and subject to annual appropriations.
