Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Drug Court topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves $500,000 from opioid-settlement fund for drug court treatment slots
Summary
The Shelby County Commission approved $500,000 from the opioid-settlement special revenue fund to expand drug-court capacity, funding inpatient and long-term treatment slots for roughly 54 people (27 inpatient, 27 long-term) and requiring staff follow-up on expenditure reports and district impacts.
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted to appropriate $500,000 from the opioid settlement special revenue fund to expand the county drug court’s treatment capacity. The amendment attaching a budget exhibit was offered by Commissioner Michael Whaley and accepted before the recorded vote.
Judge Lee Wilson of General Sessions Division 8 told commissioners the allocation would fund "27 individuals for inpatient treatment and another 27 for long term treatment," targeted to high-risk, high-need participants, many of whom are opioid-addicted. Audrey Tipton, director of administration and finance, said the county’s unencumbered opioid fund balance before the appropriation was roughly $1.4 million; the $500,000 would reduce that balance.
Why it matters: The appropriation directs settlement proceeds toward treatment rather than other uses and adds capacity for clinically recommended inpatient placements. Commissioners asked for a summative report of all opioid fund expenditures since inception, including recipients, district-level impacts, and the state quarterly reports used for oversight; Director Tipton said such reports exist and would be circulated.
The vote: The motion to approve the appropriation (with the budget exhibit attached) passed on a recorded vote of 12 ayes (roll noted in the minutes).
