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Commissioners consider using opioid settlement funds to reimburse drug‑court testing costs
Summary
Staff proposed using opioid settlement money to reimburse drug‑court drug‑testing costs (about $52,000 last year), noting drug court is not fully state‑reimbursed; commissioners asked staff to bring a resolution to the business meeting for formal action.
Sarah Masters (staff member) told the Kootenai County commissioners that the county has received opioid settlement funds and is considering various eligible uses. "One of the options we came up with is for drug court drug testing," Masters said on March 3, noting that drug court is among specialty courts not fully reimbursed by the state and that the county’s testing budget last year was about $52,000.
Masters and Julina Hilddrth presented the idea as a way to put settlement funds to restorative public‑health uses and to reimburse expenditures already borne by county general funds. Officials said the action would need to come to a business meeting as a formal resolution so the board could vote. "I think we would do a resolution on the business meeting," one commissioner said; staff agreed to prepare the item for formal agenda consideration.
Why it matters: using dedicated opioid settlement funds for drug‑court testing would align those funds with treatment and recovery programs while alleviating pressure on general funds. Commissioners did not adopt a resolution at the status meeting and directed staff to draft the paperwork for a future business meeting.
Quote: "Drug court is one of the only specialty courts that isn't fully reimbursed by the state," Masters said.
Next steps: staff to prepare a resolution and supporting materials for a business meeting so commissioners can take a formal vote.
