Delegation routes $133,000+ in opioid-settlement funds to county attorney lines and trims outside-agency awards

The Carroll County delegation voted to move several opioid‑settlement and related funds into line items within the county attorney’s budget so the attorney’s office would oversee monthly dispersals and reporting. The approved transfers included $75,000 to White Horse, $25,000 to Starting Point, $14,000 to Mount Washington Valley Supports Recovery and $5,000 to CASA; the Child Advocacy Center retained an existing $95,000 line. The county attorney accepted oversight and the delegation directed separate line items for each recipient in the county attorney’s budget.

Representative McDonald, chair of the outside-agency subcommittee, said the committee had met twice and recommended channeling recurring opioid-settlement payments to the attorney’s office for better oversight. "I can handle that," the county attorney responded, adding he would provide oversight and work with the delegation on reporting expectations.

Separately, the subcommittee proposed a slate of awards to local nonprofits drawn from its outside-services budget, with a total recommendation of roughly $278,168. Delegates debated competing principles: follow the commissioners’ new six-point policy for awarding outside agency funds versus supporting countywide services even if those recipients had other local support. Representative Page questioned continuing awards to organizations that recently completed large capital campaigns; Representative Chandler and others raised double‑dipping concerns. The delegation ultimately approved the recommended outside‑agency funding list after discussion.

What happens next: the county attorney’s office will receive the transferred monies under new individual line items and is expected to produce periodic reports on distributions and services. The outside agencies receiving funding will be notified of the awards and any reporting requirements tied to them.