Evansville council holds first reading on plan to spend roughly $1.2–$1.3M in opioid settlement funds

The Evansville Common Council on Sept. 9 held a first reading of ordinance F 2024-11, a finance ordinance that would authorize transfers and re-appropriation of roughly $1.2'$1.3 million from the city's opioid settlement accounts to local treatment, harm-reduction and reentry programs.

City Controller Robert Gunter told the council the funds combine restricted dollars earmarked for opioid addiction treatment and harm reduction with an unrestricted portion that may support other related services. "This is the first reading," Gunter said, and he invited organizations that would receive allocations to present their plans ahead of a second reading and vote.

Why it matters: The ordinance would direct a one-time allocation from the city's share of national opioid settlement proceeds to local nonprofits and public agencies. Council members and presenters said the awards are intended to expand treatment capacity, improve reentry services for people leaving jail and provide supports targeted to vulnerable groups including women and people experiencing homelessness.

Local providers described how they would use the funds. Tracy Gorman, president and CEO of the Evansville Rescue Mission, said the mission serves hundreds of men in recovery and expects capacity to grow when a planned Center for Women and Children opens. "This will definitely free us up to be able to work on some other areas in the organization that are extremely important to us," Gorman said, and she estimated the center would allow the rescue mission to impact about 70% of the area's homeless population once fully operational.

Lieutenant Michael Gray, commander of the Vanderburgh County Joint Drug Task Force, said enforcement is constrained by time, manpower and equipment. "We're asking for money for overtime to specifically combat the opioid epidemic," Gray said, requesting funds to pay overtime and to buy specialized equipment for investigations and electronic evidence collection.

Erica Taylor of the YWCA of Evansville described the YES (Embracing Sobriety) program and told the council the YWCA provided more than 19,000 nights of shelter last year, about 9,911 of which supported women and children in the YES program. The YWCA requested support that would help clients remain sober, gain employment and move to permanent housing.

Taylor Pauerbach of the Women's Hospital said perinatal support services aim to engage people earlier in pregnancy and reduce harm to mothers and infants. "In Indiana for the last several years now, substance use is one of the leading causes of death for pregnant women," Pauerbach said, and she asked the council to consider funding for transportation, infant safety supplies and expanded personnel.

Sheriff Noah Robinson described an Integrated Recovery and Correctional Support System for people booked into the jail that pairs peer support, in-facility services and follow-up for months after release. Robinson said "upwards of 70 percent of the folks that come into that jail self report having a substance abuse problem," and he cited other counties' experience showing 10'20% reductions in jail populations with similar programs.

No final vote was held on ordinance F 2024-11 at the Sept. 9 meeting; presenters were invited so council members could hear program details before the ordinance's second reading. The council's next meeting time was announced during the session; staff said the second reading and any required vote would be scheduled in a future meeting.