Troup County proposes formal policy to govern opioid settlement funds; county reports $322,500 received to date

Denise presented a proposed Troup County Opioid Settlement Funds policy to provide an internal process for requesting, reviewing, approving and tracking expenditures that must directly tie to opioid remediation and abatement.

She said the county has been receiving opioid settlement funds since January 2023 as part of national settlements with manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies. "We have received $322,500. Our current balance is $369,000," Denise said, and she listed allowable uses including accountability-court initiatives, trainings, recovery and treatment programs, housing assistance and other abatement activities so long as expenditures demonstrate a direct connection to opioid-related harms. Denise told the board the county has spent funds on a vehicle for accountability courts, vehicle maintenance, training and travel.

Denise and legal staff described a forthcoming resolution to implement the policy; staff said the board would retain final authority over expenditures and that the county will track payments to ensure compliance with settlement requirements. They also discussed the state's role: in Georgia, some settlements left substantial funds with the state (Georgia reportedly kept 75% in some settlements) while 25% flowed to counties. Staff encouraged use of the county policy to manage internal requests and to pursue competitive state funding opportunities where appropriate. The item will return to the board for formal action at the evening meeting.