Director says opioid-abatement trust flagged more than $1 million in Washington County grants; residents demand transparency

Laura Leaderly, director of clinical and case management services at Washington Drug and Alcohol, told the Washington County Board of Commissioners that state reviewers have flagged a series of opioid-settlement grants awarded by the county.

"The Pennsylvania opioid abatement trust determined that eight settlement grants awarded by our commissioners were noncompliant," Leaderly said, and added that those eight grants "totaled more than $430,000." She said nine additional grants totaling nearly $950,000 were under review, bringing "the total amount in question to over $1,000,000." Leaderly said an appeal hearing is scheduled for March 13 to review the trust's determinations and decide whether Washington County will be required to repay funds already spent.

Her remarks followed public comments from residents who urged the commissioners to explain how those grant decisions were made and who will be held accountable if the trust upholds determinations of noncompliance. "How did this happen? Will it be corrected? And how will these funds be repaid?" asked resident Jonathan Badillion during the public comment period.

Leaderly said county officials had created an opioid settlement review board after scrutiny from the trust but criticized how members of that board were selected and whether their appointment process was transparent: "There was no transparency regarding how candidates were selected for this committee," she said, asking for clear criteria and public explanation of the selection process.

County staff did not offer immediate answers during the public comment period about the substance of the alleged noncompliance or what corrective steps, if any, have already been taken. Leaderly warned that if the trust's findings are upheld, "the burden of payment could fall on Washington County taxpayers." She urged the county to pause further spending pending resolution of the trust's review and to work more closely with local treatment providers and recovery stakeholders.

The board's posted agenda included continued grant application processes overseen by Human Services and other departments; county officials noted they had formed a review board but did not provide detailed criteria for its membership at the meeting. The March 13 appeal hearing at the trust will determine which grants, if any, must be repaid or restructured. The board did not take action during the meeting to suspend new opioid-settlement awards.

Next step: The trust's appeal hearing on March 13 and any resulting determinations or repayment obligations will materially affect how Washington County proceeds with opioid-settlement funding and county oversight procedures.