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Council members question shift of HEART team funding to opioid settlement dollars; administration says phased approach planned
Summary
Several council members cautioned against using one‑time opioid settlement funds for ongoing HEART team operations. City officials said settlement dollars will be disbursed over multiple years and that the administration plans a phased approach to avoid a sharp funding cliff.
Several council members told the Finance and Budget Committee they were concerned about shifting ongoing homelessness and outreach work for the HEART team from the general fund to opioid settlement dollars.
Council President Acre and other members asked why the administration proposed using opioid settlement funds to support HEART instead of covering the cost in the general fund or coordinating more with Ramsey County. The concern, members said, is that opioid settlement dollars are typically one‑time or limited‑term funds and should be prioritized for treatment and prevention.
Director Angie Weasey said the HEART work is tightly connected to public health and the opioid crisis; she described using settlement dollars for HEART as a way to preserve existing service levels in a tight general fund year. “Utilizing opioid settlement dollars is, in my opinion, a wise decision,” Weasey said, adding that the administration has tried to be conservative in planning for any future transition back to the general fund.
Deputy officials told the committee the opioid settlement funding will come in over multiple years and that the city intends to “ramp up” services with an explicit plan to phase off settlement support so that costs can return to the general fund without a sudden cliff. The settlement funds discussed in the meeting were described as part of a larger special fund (referred to in the presentation as Fund 211) that holds multiple accounting units, including opioid settlement accounting.
Why it matters: HEART delivers outreach and unsheltered response work the council views as an important public‑safety and human‑services function. Council members said they want a clearer joint plan with Ramsey County and a public accounting of how much settlement money the city expects in 2026 and how the funds will be allocated.
Committee members requested: a detailed 2026 opioid settlement revenue estimate, a breakdown of planned 2026 allocations, and a timeline for how the administration plans to gradually return HEART costs to the general fund if settlement dollars decline. The administration agreed to follow up with those details and to consider scheduling a dedicated briefing on opioid settlement funding.
