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Residents and recovery workers urge commissioners to keep independent drug-and-alcohol authority; county votes to send letter of intent for state review
Summary
Dozens of residents, WDAC staff and local officials urged Washington County commissioners to reject a proposed county takeover of the Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission and to allocate opioid settlement funds to the nonprofit; commissioners voted to submit a letter of intent to the state for review of a possible return of the single‑county‑authority designation.
Dozens of residents, recovery workers and local officials urged Washington County commissioners at a public meeting to keep the independent Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission (WDAC) in charge of local substance‑use services and opioid‑settlement spending, saying a county takeover would risk access and trust.
Cheryl Andrews, executive director of WDAC, told commissioners: "I am respectfully requesting that the commissioners vote no to the agenda item letter n under new business, letter of intent, human services." Andrews said WDAC has "decades of strong outcomes and community trust" and called the proposed takeover "about power and control." She said the county should instead "talk reconciliation to reduce duplication and unlock opportunities for coordinated planning and funding." Andrews also said that "since 2022, roughly $5,500,000 have been allocated in…
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