The Tucker County Commission received the first distribution from the Opioid settlement at the Commission’s regular meeting. Hunter Mullens addressed the Commission and presented a check for the first installment at the meeting.
Mullens said he brought a check in the amount of $85,773.84, which represents the first installment of the settlement fund for the County. According to Mullens the amount was allocated from the County’s designated percentage of the settlement fund. “This is a pretty big chunk of what is going to come to Tucker County from the 24.5% that was allocated to Tucker County,” Mullins said.
Distributions for the settlement funds are divided between the County and the State, according to Mullens. Mullens said Tucker County will receive 24.5% with 72.5% for the First Foundation State fund. As a part of the State fund, local entities will be able to apply for grant money for drug abuse prevention and education, according to Mullens. “They are just getting started in Charleston,” Mullins said. “But then, you will be able to apply for grants for opioid or drug prevention and education.”
There is also a regional component to the settlement, according to Mullens. Tucker County is in a region along with Harrison, Monongalia, Preston, Barbour and Taylor Counties, according to Mullens. Mullens said the regional board is still in early stages, but he anticipated the board beginning to fund grants in a year or so.“They are still working out some of the details because the First Foundation, as you may have read, has just got their board members in place. So they are moving along,” Mullins said. “I don’t think they plan on distributing a lot of money until around a year from now or so,” Mullins said.
Mullens said he would assist in any way he could to help the Commission secure grant funding, once the grants become available. “But you want to keep that in mind and I will help in anyway I can to apply for grants,” Mullins said.“In addition to applying for grants in Charleston and regionally, you will get other distributions,” Mullens said.
Mullens informed the Commissioners that up to half of the distributed amount could be allocated to reimburse the County for the increase in the Regional Jail fees directly related to the opioid epidemic. “The other thing is, you are allowed to reimburse yourself up to one half of this money,” Mullens said. “Reimburse yourself for the Regional Jail bill. You had an increased Regional Jail bill that was a direct result of the opioid epidemic.”
Mullens also outlined the steps the Commission would need to take to reimburse for the added costs. Commission President Mike Rosenau asked Mullens if the County was allowed to use half of the current check for reimbursement since there is no concrete word on when the next distributions will be. “You can,” Mullens said. “You can take half of this money to reimburse yourself. The only thing you need to do, which we can draft you a resolution. You would need to make a motion, pass it and have a resolution of why you are reimbursing yourself. We can prepare that for you.”
Rosenau thanked Mullens for his assistance. “I would appreciate it if you would go ahead a prepare that,” Rosenau said. “That’s one thing that is a cost to our taxpayers in our county, is our jail costs.”
There have been stipulations attached to how the settlement fund money could be used, according to Mullens. Some of the stipulations attached include the need for the money to be held in a separate, interest bearing account and restricted uses outlined in an Memorandum of Understanding that was initially signed by the Commission. Mullens offered his assitance and advice if the Commission had any questions about how the funds could be used.“If there’s any questions when you go to use the funds, please let me know,” Mullens said. “I can give you advice on how to use them. Its pretty broad,. As long as you’re doing it towards evidence based drug prevention or treatment, basically, which is pretty broad.”
Rosenau said that the County had the MOU filed and the account in place. According to Rosenau, the County has been attempting to follow through with all instructions on the funding to the letter.
Mullens said that the litigation over Opioid abuse in the area started seven years ago in Barbour County. “As you know, I started this litigation seven years ago in Barbour County,” Mullens said. “A little bit later in Tucker.”
Mullens also said that the State of West Virginia received more money per capita than any other State due to the choice to have the case brought to State Court. “I appreciate the County Commission’s patience, but also making that choice back early on,” Mullens said. “If you remember back early on, we could have gone with the National settlement and just been done with it, but we were able to get a lot more money because we brought it into State Court and pursued that…and actually per capita, we got more money than any other State to my understanding, the State of West Virginia.”
The next meeting of the Tucker County Commission will be held Wednesday, February 14 at 9 a.m. at the Tucker County Courthouse Old Courtroom in Parsons.