Spencer County officials on Nov. 3 discussed potential uses for two restricted county accounts: an opioid-related checking account and a records-retention account tied to Senate Bill 135.

A presiding official told the court the opioid-checking account holds $106,907. Members reviewed a list of eligible uses (trainings, medication-assisted treatment, reimbursement for services to incarcerated individuals and recovery programs) but expressed concern that payments made up front could later be disallowed and require repayment to the state or fund administrator.

Several members urged caution. One commissioner suggested inviting program administrators to present result data and program costs in person before committing additional funds. Court members noted the county previously funded five participants in a program at $8,500 each and said they would consider pilot funding if providers can demonstrate outcomes.

Separately, the court reviewed a separate records-retention account derived from fees (referred to as Senate Bill 135 funding) with a balance described in the meeting as $108,033.15 and monthly inflows of roughly $2,800$3,000. Officials said that fund is restricted to records retention and related activities, not general operations, and that invoices routed through fiscal court will be handled according to those constraints.

Members discussed short-term investment options, such as placing a portion of the opioid balance in certificates of deposit to earn higher interest, but several cautioned that investing could limit the county's ability to spend quickly on eligible services or create penalties if funds must be repaid. The court directed staff to arrange presentations from program providers and to research options that balance preservation of principal and program flexibility.