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Lyon County sheriff seeks to use opioid settlement funds to hire deputies; court urges legal review
Summary
The Lyon County sheriff proposed using opioid settlement money to hire one full-time and one part-time deputy for a treatment/diversion program, saying $136,768.89 is currently on hand. Other fiscal court members raised legal and budget concerns and asked for county attorney and auditor guidance before any commitment.
Speaker 4, who identified himself as the Lyon County sheriff, asked the fiscal court to use opioid settlement funds to hire one full-time and one part-time deputy to staff an expanded ‘Badges of Hope’ treatment and diversion effort. “We have 7 shifts, with only 1 deputy on duty at 1 time,” he said, urging action to improve officer safety and community services.
The sheriff told the court the JJ settlement balance shows $136,768.89 on hand and described a proposal to pay salaries and program costs from restricted settlement monies rather than the general fund. He said the proposal would include reporting requirements and daily activity logs for the deputies and that settlement adviser Lauren Carr had reviewed the draft and offered guidance.
Several court members questioned both the legality and sustainability of using the settlement proceeds for deputy salaries. Speaker 2 warned that “the opioid funds cannot be used for enforcement actions,” citing the settlement agreements signed by jurisdictions, and urged consultation with the county attorney. The transcript records a back-and-forth about whether enforcement-related activities could be funded in limited circumstances and whether the settlement adviser’s guidance allowed the proposed payroll use.
Speakers exchanged figures for how the settlements are distributed: portions attributed to Janssen/J&J, CVS, Walgreens and others; cited amounts included $68,425.76 and $66,004.17 for particular distributions and an interest amount of about $2,000. Speakers noted different totals depending on whether interest and specific distributor payments are included and discussed projections of future payments through 2037–2038.
Court members emphasized auditing and oversight. The sheriff said regular public-audit mechanisms and existing auditing channels would review spending, and he described additional internal reporting he would provide. Several members said they would prefer a part-time pilot or further legal and auditor review before authorizing any hires or payroll commitments from restricted settlement funds.
No formal vote to allocate opioid settlement funds to hire deputies was recorded at this meeting; members directed staff to consult the county attorney and auditors for legal and compliance guidance and left the matter for future consideration.
