The Carroll County Board of Supervisors voted Monday to withdraw $80,000 in opioid settlement funds from CDs held at local banks to ready the money for distribution to prevention and treatment programs in the area. Since 2021, pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors have paid billions to states for their role in creating the nation’s opioid crisis. Carroll County Board of Supervisors Chair Scott Johnson says the county has received nearly $300,000 so far, but it has yet to be utilized.
The supervisors recently heard presentations from the Manning Regional Healthcare Center’s (MRHC) Recovery Center and New Opportunities regarding their proposed uses for some of the funds. MRHC is recommending the money be used to support treatment for under/uninsured patients, while New Opportunities is interested in adding recovery coordinators to their staff in the five counties where they provide substance abuse services. The board is considering creating an opioid settlement fund committee to review funding applications and present their recommendations to the supervisors, but they first need to decide how much recovery money they’ll set aside. New Opportunities is requesting $15,000, while MRHC did not include a dollar amount in their presentation. District 3 Supervisor Gene Meiners suggests pulling fewer dollars until projects are lined up and ready to go.
Penalties for early withdrawals are generally a portion of the interest a CD would have earned over its term. After a brief discussion, the supervisors voted 4-0 to put $200,000 back into CDs, and the remaining $80,000 would be set aside for distribution after applications are approved. Carroll County is expected to receive over $460,000 in opioid settlement funds over the next 10 years, but over half of the funds have already been delivered.
