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Washington County officials pressed on opioid-settlement transparency as WDAC warns budget could duplicate services
Summary
During the Nov. 20 commissioners meeting, Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission leaders and public commenters urged greater transparency and oversight of opioid-settlement spending after WDAC said more than $5 million was distributed without published criteria; commissioners defended the allocations and approved the 2026 budget.
Cheryl Andrews, executive director of the Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission, told the Washington County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 20 that the county’s proposed 2026 budget appears to create county positions that could duplicate services WDAC currently provides and urged the board to pause a specific appropriation until state guidance and a transparent process are in place. "The public deserves to know the actual plan," Andrews said, asking the board to reconsider the appropriation for an executive director, deputy director and 10 reclassified positions.
Why it matters: WDAC and other speakers said opioid-settlement funds — more than $5,000,000, according to remarks in the meeting — have been…
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