Title
Receive a presentation and vote to adopt a resolution by the County of Chatham to direct the expenditure of $1.29 million in Opioid Settlement Funds during fiscal years 2026-2028 to support the following strategies: 1. Collaborative Strategic Planning 2. Evidence-Based Addiction Treatment 3. Recovery Support Services 4. Early Intervention 5. Naloxone Distribution 6. Recovery Housing
Abstract
Introduction & Background: In July 2021, North Carolina announced a $26 billion agreement with pharmaceutical distributors of opioids to bring resources to communities harmed by the opioid epidemic. The agreement resolved litigation over the role of four companies in creating and fueling the opioid epidemic. A second settlement provides additional funding. In total, Chatham County is slated to receive approximately $5.45 million in Opioid Settlement Funds through 2038, with the potential for additional settlements in the future.
The Chatham County Board of Commissioners voted in March 2023, November 2023, and March 2024 to adopt resolutions to direct the expenditure of opioid settlement dollars toward strategies recommended by the Sheriff's Prevention Partnership on Controlled Substances. This funding authorization expires June 30, 2025.
The Chatham County Board of Commissioners will receive a presentation outlining progress on opioid overdose prevention and response strategies to date. In addition, a proposed budget for the use of Opioid Settlement Funds through June 30, 2028 will be presented.
Discussion & Analysis: Per the terms of the Settlements, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners must approve the proposed budget. Five of the six proposed strategies were included in previous budgets. The sixth, Recovery Housing, was identified as a need in community meetings and surveys regarding use of these funds conducted in 2024 and by members of the Partnership. The total amount for the three-year requested budget is $1.29 million, or an average of $430,000 per ye...
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