Council asks for detail on $750,000 opioid‑settlement transfer, seeks clarity for FAST team funding

The mayor asked the council on Feb. 10 to appropriate $750,000 from an opioid stabilization account into the opioid settlement revolving fund. The order lists certain designated amounts for specific programs but leaves an unspecified remainder to support multiple eligible opioid‑response programs, a point that drew questions from councilors.

Councilor Raposo asked how long a remaining allocation would sustain the FAST team; administration officials said two specific program allocations were identified in the letter (including $211,000 for the PAS program and $50,000 for CARES) but the remainder was intended to cover several programs that have not been fully itemized yet. The CFO said the special‑revenue rules governing opioid settlement money are strict and that any spending must meet the legal eligibility for the settlement funds.

Several councilors objected to approving a large transfer without a clearer breakdown. Administration staff said the current special‑revenue account was already in a constrained state because of prior encumbrances and journal corrections and that the timing of the transfer was presented as urgent; they also said unspent special‑revenue dollars roll into the next fiscal year.

After discussion, councilors referred the order to the Committee on Finance and asked the administration to provide a detailed line‑item breakdown showing exactly how much of the $750,000 would sustain the FAST team and what other program lines the funds would support.