Calhoun County creates opioid settlement "emerging needs" fund, approves $200,000 appropriation

The Calhoun County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Feb. 19 to create an "opioid settlement emerging needs fund" and to appropriate $200,000 immediately from restricted settlement proceeds to seed that fund.

Kelly Scott, Administrator/Controller, described the fund as a "rolling" source to respond quickly to urgent opioid-related needs in the community, rather than relying only on the county's existing annual competitive grant process. Scott said the county expects to receive a little over $13,000,000 from opioid manufacturers, distributors and retailers over roughly 15 years — approximately $700,000 per year — and that the county has previously appropriated about $600,000 per year to competitive grants. "This doesn't impact the county's general fund," Scott said, stressing that the settlement funds are restricted to mitigating the opioid crisis in Calhoun County and that recipients would need legal agreements, receipts and reporting to demonstrate allowable use.

Scott said the recommendation was proactive — to have flexible capacity if spikes in overdoses or sudden funding gaps occur — and that the appropriation and any grants would be reviewed by the opioid settlement fund steering committee and subject to legal review by the county corporation counsel. Several commissioners confirmed there was no immediate, specific emergency driving the action; the appropriation was intended to create an available option for urgent needs.

The resolution passed 7-0. County staff said future disbursements from the emerging needs fund would follow the county's grant procedures, include legal agreements and reporting requirements, and must meet the allowable uses set out in the settlement documents.