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Council urges administration to prioritize grassroots harm‑reduction groups for opioid settlement funds; resolution passes 6–3
Summary
The council adopted Resolution C‑2024‑23 encouraging the administration to disburse opioid settlement funds to local grassroots harm‑reduction groups. Supporters cited success by the Evansville Recovery Alliance; opponents argued the council shouldn’t dictate mayoral allocations. Lavender Timmons of ERA testified to a 33% reduction in overdose fatalities in 2023.
The Evansville Common Council on Oct. 28 adopted a nonbinding resolution (C‑2024‑23) encouraging the administration to prioritize disbursement of opioid settlement funds to local grassroots organizations that provide harm‑reduction services.
Supporters said the funds should reach organizations that distribute testing strips, provide Narcan and deliver street‑level services. Lavender Timmons, co‑founder and executive director of Evansville Recovery Alliance, told the council her volunteer organization reduced overdose fatalities in the city by 33% in 2023 through public Narcan distribution and outreach, and urged council support for equitable investment in harm reduction.
"This last year in 02/2023, we reduced overdose fatalities in the city of Evansville by 33 percent," Lavender Timmons said, describing ERA’s volunteer work and the organization’s need for funding to scale services.
Some council members voiced procedural concerns about the resolution’s form. One councilor said he opposed using a council resolution to direct the mayor’s allocation decisions and said the council should use other channels to coordinate with the administration. Another councilor requested more discussion and said he had not been aware of the resolution prior to its posting.
After debate, the clerk recorded the vote as 6 ayes and 3 nays; the resolution was declared adopted. The resolution is advisory and directs the administration to consider grassroots partners when planning the distribution of settlement funds; it does not appropriate money or change existing legal allocation processes.
