Southwestern Commission briefs Macon County commissioners on opioid-settlement funding and local planning options

Russ Harris, executive director of the Southwestern Commission, briefed the Macon County Board of Commissioners on June 10 about the county’s opioid-settlement funding and the planning steps counties must take to spend those dollars.

Harris said Macon County is scheduled to receive roughly $5.6 million from statewide opioid settlements over an 18-year period; settlement draws are front-loaded so counties can begin programs and then continue with smaller draws in later years. The county has already placed settlement receipts in a separate account, Harris said, which is a statutory requirement.

Harris described two approaches counties may take under the state memorandum of understanding: option A (a menu of 12 proven strategies such as naloxone distribution, recovery supports and post-overdose response teams) and option B (a heavier planning and reporting route that requires additional local planning to seek broader uses). He said most rural counties have chosen option A to get money into the community faster.

Local priorities identified in Macon County stakeholder outreach included better connections to care, more treatment and transportation to distant treatment centers, more harm-reduction education and post-treatment housing options so people leaving treatment do not immediately return to unstable settings.

County staff said they have reached out to the Dogwood Health Foundation about a technical-assistance grant to fund a coordinator who would help marshal local stakeholders, manage reporting requirements and distribute subgrants; staff said Dogwood funding would be separate from the opioid settlements and could cover two years of coordinator costs (managers described a grant around $200,000–$300,000 over two years).

Harris reminded the board of reporting requirements: the county must complete a local spending authorization within 90 days of a formal spending vote; annual financial reports are due within 90 days of fiscal-year end and impact reports are required for years in which funds are spent. Harris noted that counties retain flexibility and may change course after starting a strategy.

Why it matters: The opioid-settlement funds are intended to support treatment, recovery and related public-health services. How Macon County chooses to use the funds will affect available local treatment, distribution of naloxone and supports for people in recovery.

What’s next: County staff will meet with Dogwood Health Foundation staff to explore technical assistance and return to the commission with a recommended local planning process and proposed spending priorities.