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Resolution - Opioid Settlement Funding Plan (FY2027-FY2030)
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INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patrick Niland, County Manager’s Office, Deputy County Manager, 704-283-3630
ACTION REQUESTED:
1) Adopt the Resolution to Direct the Expenditure of Opioid Settlement Funds for FY2027-FY2030; and 2) authorize the County Manager to negotiate and execute agreements and related documents consistent with this agenda item.
PRIOR BOARD ACTIONS:
June 19, 2023, Regular Meeting, Agenda Item # 23-367 - Board approval of the first phase of opioid settlement funding.
BACKGROUND:
North Carolina participated in the national opioid settlements, and the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) and the North Carolina Department of Justice (NCDOJ) partnered to help ensure settlement proceeds are distributed to local jurisdictions for programs and services that directly benefit individuals and communities most impacted by the opioid epidemic.
Union County entered into Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) with the State of North Carolina governing both the amount of settlement funding to be received and the allowable uses of those funds. These agreements also establish the framework for how North Carolina and participating local governments will use proceeds from future national settlements or bankruptcy resolutions involving opioid manufacturers, distributors, and related entities.
Union County is projected to receive approximately $19.9 million in opioid settlement proceeds over an 18-year period. Under the terms of the MOAs, local governments are required to engage in a collaborative planning process to determine how these funds will be invested.
To meet this requirement, County staff convened community stakeholders beginning in September 2025 and facilitated a four-month strategic planning process to develop recommendations for the FY2027-FY2030 funding period. Those recommendations were presented to and endorsed by the Board of Commissioners at its April 20, 2026, Regular Meeting.
The attached resolution directs the expenditure of opioid settlement funds in accordance with that approved funding plan and authorizes the County Manager to implement the plan through agreements with selected providers and partners.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
$7,020,950.39 in opioid settlement funds is proposed for allocation under the FY2027-FY2030 funding plan.