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Commissioners authorize 90-day bridge funding for HARK recovery court coordinator and short-term program support
Summary
The board approved a 90-day AOC contract authorization to continue the HARK coordinator’s salary (encumbering $26,688 from remaining legislative grant funds) and adopted two resolutions to appropriate $8,000 (opioid settlement MOA funds) and $12,000 (McKenzie settlement funds) to support HARK programming while awaiting a pending grant decision.
The Halifax County Board of Commissioners on June 1 approved short-term bridge funding to sustain the Halifax Accountability and Recovery Court (HARK) while a pending grant application is under review.
County staff asked the board to: (1) execute a standard contract with the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to continue the HARK coordinator’s AOC salary for 90 days, using $26,688 of remaining legislative grant funds; (2) appropriate $8,000 from opioid-settlement funds governed by the state MOA for services for participants with opioid use disorder; and (3) appropriate $12,000 from a separate McKenzie settlement to support HARK programming for 90 days.
The board approved the contract and adopted both resolutions by voice vote. Staff said the MOA funds are restricted to opioid-use-disorder services while the McKenzie settlement funds have broader allowable uses under the county’s settlement receipts. County attorneys and managers will draft operating procedures for these appropriations to ensure compliance with each fund’s conditions.
Why it matters: HARK provides court-supervised recovery services; staff said legislative grant funding that previously supported the program will expire June 30. The 90-day bridge is intended to keep the coordinator and core services operating while the county awaits a larger grant decision from the Governor’s Crime Commission.
What's next: Staff will finalize the AOC contract, adopt internal procedures to govern the settlement-funded expenditures, and return to the board if longer-term funding is not secured.
Sources: Staff presentation and the board’s motions at the Halifax County Board of Commissioners meeting, June 1, 2026 (presenters and discussants: county staff, Mr. Maro, county attorney).
