Federalist Council joins statewide opioid settlements, city to receive $187,000 over 15 years

The Federalist City Council voted unanimously Sept. 2 to join nine opioid-related settlements negotiated by the Washington State Attorney General, a move that city staff said will make Federalist eligible for roughly $187,000 in payments over 15 years. The settlements include a $105.6 million portion tied to Purdue and the Sackler family and $16.7 million against multiple generic manufacturers; the state’s negotiated distribution directs half of settlement proceeds to local governments and half to the state. "This is an all or nothing proposition," a staff presenter told the council.

The settlements will be distributed under an interlocal agreement known as the 1 Washington MOU, which defines permissible uses: treatment for opioid use disorder, prevention programs and other abatement strategies such as training first responders and program evaluation. City staff clarified that council will ultimately decide how Federalist’s share is spent. "It's up to council on how to appropriate this money," a councilor asked; staff replied that council has discretion.

City staff also corrected an earlier figure in their packet that doubled the city share; the correct estimate for these nine settlements is $187,000 over 15 years. The staff report noted a statewide cumulative local-government allocation from multiple opioid settlements could total about $578 million, with Federalist’s eventual share across all settlements estimated at about $1.7 million over 15 years.

Council members asked whether the funds could be used mainly for training; staff confirmed that, within the MOU's allowable categories, council could choose to prioritize training or direct services, and that purchases such as naloxone (Narcan) could be funded if council chooses. The motion to approve the city joining the settlements was made by the council president and passed unanimously.

City staff said more detailed spending proposals would be produced by the human services division of the Community Development Department once monies are received and accumulated to an amount that warrants programmatic deployment. The settlements require buy-in from eligible local governments statewide for the negotiated terms to take effect; staff said many comparable cities were concluding approvals in the same period.

Formal action: council moved and seconded approval of the proposed settlements and voted unanimously to join.