Dare County board unanimously approves FY2027 opioid-settlement spending plan

The Dare County Board of Commissioners on May 4 approved a spending plan for the county's share of opioid-settlement funds for fiscal year 2027, endorsing recommendations from the Saving Lives Task Force that emphasize treatment, recovery supports and harm-reduction services.

Sheila Davies, representing the Saving Lives Task Force, told commissioners the national settlement produced dedicated funds for North Carolina and that Dare County's allocation is about $6,400,000 spread over 18 years. "Of that settlement, dollars $750,000,000 was allocated to North Carolina," Davies said, summarizing the state process for distributing funds and the local task force's role in producing annual recommendations.

Wally Overman, the task force co-presenter, walked the board through the FY2027 line item recommendations drawn from a community survey of about 140 respondents. He said the task force recommended $71,459 for peer-support services, $110,000 for recovery court, $49,429 for social determinants of health (housing, transportation and similar supports), $65,000 for the detention center, and $60,000 for treatment services, with roughly $36,000 held in undesignated fund balance for flexibility. "Dollars 6,400,000 is a lot of money, but there's never enough," Overman said as he explained the need to allocate funds judiciously.

Commissioner Justin Bateman moved approval of the plan and the motion was seconded and approved without dissent. Staff said the board will return in June with a resolution formalizing the allocation.

Why it matters: local governments must spend opioid-settlement dollars within categories set by memoranda of agreement; in Dare County the task force-led process prioritized evidence-based treatment, prisoner reentry supports and harm-reduction measures such as naloxone and testing strips. The plan reflects survey feedback from treatment providers, justice-system stakeholders and affected community members, and the board's approval allows staff to prepare the formal resolution for the June meeting.

Next steps: staff will return with a resolution in June to adopt the FY2027 allocation and proceed with any procurement or grant agreements required to implement the recommended programs.