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Lamar County OKs up to $25,922 in opioid-settlement money to buy AEDs, authorizes participation in Purdue/Sackler claims
Summary
The Lamar County Commission voted to allocate up to $25,922 of opioid-settlement funds to purchase automated external defibrillators for county buildings and deputies and authorized continued legal participation in Purdue/Sackler bankruptcy distributions; voice votes were recorded but individual tallies were not in the transcript.
The Lamar County Commission voted on Aug. 11, 2025, to authorize continued legal participation in opioid-related bankruptcy distributions and to allocate up to $25,922 of opioid-settlement funds to buy automated external defibrillators for county public buildings and deputy vehicles. The commission approved a resolution and recorded the action by voice vote; the transcript does not include a roll-call tally.
Commission leadership brought forward a written authorization to allow county attorneys to continue representing the county in claims tied to the Purdue and Sackler bankruptcy plan so the county could collect its share of opioid-settlement proceeds. An unnamed member moved to allow the chair to sign documents for participation; another commissioner seconded the motion and the commission approved it by voice vote.
Sheriff Marty Gotwell, who proposed eligible uses for opioid settlement funds, said the county had "searched for ways to be able to use this opioid settlement" and that placing AEDs in county facilities and deputy vehicles was one viable use. He told commissioners the approach was a way to "tap into those resources and help our citizens and our sheriff's deputies in case they're needed." The commission chair said the purchase had required legal review, including an opinion from the attorney general, before confirming eligibility under state and federal rules.
The adopted resolution states the expenditure is "contingent on the continued appropriation and availability of opioid settlement funds for this purpose" and identifies the amount allocated at $25,922. The transcript records members expressing appreciation for the sheriff and staff who developed the plan; the record shows the motion, a second, and a voice vote of approval but does not include individual vote counts.
What happens next: the commission authorized execution of the resolution by the chair (effective Aug. 11, 2025) and directed county staff to proceed with procurement consistent with state and federal guidance and the availability of settlement funds.
