Commissioners debate using $90,000 in opioid-settlement funds for ACM scholarships after advisory committee objects

Bedford County commissioners on July 14 debated a proposal to allocate $90,000 in opioid settlement funds to a scholarship program administered through the Bedford County Regional Education Foundation and Allegany College of Maryland.

At the outset of public comment, a member of the county's opioid advisory committee said the committee had unanimously rejected the proposal because it "restricts applicants to only one institution" and gives that institution the sole authority to decide awards. The commenter urged a more flexible program so residents could pursue trade certificates, CDL training or other programs not offered at ACM: "We are not providing opportunities to people if we limit their choice to only one institution," the committee member said.

Karen Hendershot of the Public Defender's Office said she shared concerns about tracking and accountability. "When I'm reading this resolution or motion, it raises concerns for me because I know in the course of representing Bedford County we have to be very careful in tracking these funds and showing they're being used specifically for the affected population," Hendershot said, adding that transportation barriers make some training programs inaccessible for people in recovery.

Melissa Jacobs, a member of the opioid settlement advisory committee and a certified family recovery specialist, said the committee recommended a separate, county-administered scholarship fund with clear criteria and awards available to any accredited institution, including ACM. "Restricting these funds to a single institution, even one I deeply support, does not fully reflect the needs of the population we're trying to serve," Jacobs said. She urged the board to preserve applicant choice and set up a scholarship review committee to oversee awards.

Commissioner (speaker 4) who has championed the plan described ACM as a practical starting point that meets students "where they are," emphasized that the motion includes a scholarship committee and safeguards and said the program could later be expanded beyond ACM. "No financial assistance will be distributed by the Regional Education Foundation until awards have been authorized by a scholarship committee appointed by us," the commissioner said, arguing the setup does not hand final authority solely to ACM.

Other commissioners worried that the county lacked a scholarship review committee and detailed award criteria at the time of the vote and asked to table the measure until the next meeting. Board members ultimately debated and voted; the transcript records multiple voices in favor and opposed, and the meeting proceeded to subsequent agenda items.

Why it matters: The county's opioid settlement funds are intended to remediate harms caused by the opioid epidemic. Committee members who work directly with people in recovery said restricting award options could exclude people who need short-term trade or licensure programs rather than traditional college degrees.

What happens next: Commissioners discussed tabling the item to define award criteria and appoint a scholarship review committee. The public commenters urged more transparency, tracking measures and consideration of immediate needs such as transportation.

Quotes used in this article are taken verbatim from the meeting transcript and are attributed to speakers who appear in the official record.