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Fiscal Court discusses options for opioid-settlement funds, urges local focus and coordination with region’s treatment project
Summary
Court members reviewed the county's National Opioid Settlement fund guidance and discussed restraining uses to treatment-related activities, coordinating with a regional 'anchor' treatment project, and the prospect of additional settlement payments.
County officials discussed how to use Logan County’s portion of the National Opioid Settlement funds and signaled a preference for locally directed treatment and program spending while coordinating with a planned regional treatment “anchor” project.
Treasurer Amanda and other court members said the settlement funds are subject to restrictions and guidance that limit how counties may spend the money — they noted examples like hiring treatment coordinators and funding programmatic treatment activities, but said the funds typically cannot be used to “supplement a service that already exists.” Court members urged waiting to see how much the county accumulates before committing to recurring costs and flagged a possible need to coordinate with a larger regional treatment project that may request county contributions.
“One county hired a treatment coordinator,” a county official said in discussion. “They are pretty restrictive, and one of them would be, we can’t supplement a service that already exists.”
Court members also noted additional settlement payments are still expected — the county’s portion will grow as other settlements are finalized — and several expressed a preference that county funds remain spent in Logan County when practical. Judge Baker said he would invite leaders of the regional anchor project to present to the court so members could better assess possible cooperation or contributions.
No binding allocation of the National Opioid Settlement funds was made at the meeting; court members directed staff to continue tracking rules and to seek a presentation from the regional anchor project before making spending decisions.
