Committee approves $354,000 in opioid‑settlement community grant awards

The Muskegon County Human Services Committee approved a motion (HS 2510‑55) to distribute $354,000 in opioid‑settlement community grant awards for the period Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026, and to adjust the county budget accordingly. The motion was moved by Commissioner Page, supported by Commissioner Cook, and passed on a voice vote.

Public Health Director Cathy Moore explained that the county is treating the settlement proceeds conservatively by taking an annualized approach: the expected settlement payments are divided by 18 years because many defendants have multi‑year payout schedules. "This is a portion of the, just a small portion or one‑eighteenth of the portion we expect to get over the years," Moore said, describing the rationale to spread funding to ensure program continuity.

Moore said the county allocates 75% of the annual portion to community grants (the $354,000 figure in the motion) and reserves 25% for county departments and municipalities; the departmental/municipal share must be formally requested. She described program examples funded by the grants, including recovery services through agencies such as Arbor Circle and transportation assistance to appointments through organizations like Higher Resources.

Moore said the county is working on an annual opioid report to publish on its website and provide a hard copy so the public can see where the dollars went. The motion passed by voice vote; the committee did not record a roll‑call tally in the transcript.