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Mount Vernon joins North Star regional partnership, holds back most opioid settlement funds for regional planning
Summary
The City Council approved joining the North Star interlocal and adopted a resolution directing staff to reserve about 80% of opioid-settlement money pending regional collaboration, while clarifying the move creates no new legal entity or contracting authority.
Mount Vernon’s City Council voted Dec. 17 to join an interlocal partnership called the North Star Leadership Team and to temporarily hold back the bulk of the city’s opioid-settlement funds to pursue regional collaboration.
City attorney Kevin Rogerson told the council the agreement formalizes ongoing coordination among Anacortes, Burlington, Mount Vernon, Cedar Woolley and Skagit County on homelessness, mental-health services and opioid impacts. "It does not create a separate legal or administrative entity," Rogerson said, adding the interlocal does not give the group authority to enter contracts or obligate city funds.
Rogerson said the linked resolution would "direct staff to hold back about 80% of those" opioid-settlement funds so the members can explore joint programs that might stretch limited resources further. He described opioid settlement monies as restricted funds intended to mitigate the local harms of opioid distribution and manufacture and stressed the resolution is an internal direction, not a contract or commitment to spend.
Council members who spoke in favor said the holdback is intended to preserve flexibility for larger regional proposals and to ensure proposals receive due diligence before funds are spent. The council approved participation in the North Star interlocal and the opioid-fund holdback by voice vote.
The actions do not on their own obligate Mount Vernon to future contracts. Any actual program design, joint procurement or grant spending would return to council for separate approvals. Rogerson cited the opioid settlements referenced in the presentation, including suit proceeds related to Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, as examples of sources producing restricted settlement funds for communities.
Next steps for the city will include staff work to identify regional proposals and return specific spending requests or agreements for council consideration.
