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Officials outline $5.6 million allocation from opioid settlements for Macon County; $1.79M currently available
Summary
Southwestern Commission and county staff reported $5,635,859 allocated to Macon County from opioid settlement funds; $1,789,541.51 has been received so far, and county staff said no funds will be spent without a future board vote. A potential Dogwood Health Trust grant could add about $300,000 over two years.
Southwestern Commission Executive Director Russ Harris told the Macon County Board at its June 10 meeting that $5,635,859 had been allocated to Macon County from opioid-settlement disbursements. Finance Director Lori Carpenter said the county has received $1,789,541.51 of that allocation to date.
Harris said the allocation is intended for planning and programming tied to opioid response and recovery and emphasized that "no funds will be spent without a vote from the board." County Manager Warren Cabe said the county could apply to Dogwood Health Trust for roughly $300,000 in additional funding over two years; if awarded, Dogwood would help advise how the funds are spent.
Carpenter explained that opioid funds arrive intermittently throughout the year as distributions are made and that any spending will require board approval and standard appropriation steps. The board did not vote to appropriate opioid funds at this meeting; the presentation was informational and intended to guide future action and potential grant applications.
Next steps: Board members may authorize appropriation of opioid-settlement funds or approve grant applications at a subsequent meeting after staff provides proposed uses and budgets for the funds.
