St. Albans council rejects $2,700 request for naloxone box at Gateway Church

The St. Albans City Council voted down a $2,700 request from Project Mayday to supply naloxone-related supplies in a publicly accessible box at Gateway Church during its July 6, 2026 meeting.

The request was brought off the table for discussion and drew extended debate. A council member opposed the funding, saying, "I'm not going to be for this. ... I don't think this is the best use for opioid funds," and arguing the city should prioritize patrols, social-work outreach and fire/EMS equipment over an unmonitored supply box. That speaker added, "I don't argue a bit that this saves lives," but said the ease of access and potential for repeated removal by non-family members made the proposal problematic.

Another council member countered that the opioid fund is restricted to drug-related uses and defended supplying the box as a lifesaving, allowable expense. "These funds are not to be used for the purchase of [narcotics]; whether or not we approve what is placed in that box doesn't change that — this can be a supplemental supply that helps families and prevents deaths," the proponent said.

A church representative described operational controls for the box at Gateway Church, saying, "The box is monitored by the church. If it's empty for longer than a few days, we take it inside to monitor it," and that supplies were refilled about twice a month. The representative also said the church receives naloxone donations and that the theft or repeated removal the council worried about had not been a problem at that location in the two years since installation.

Council members pressed on practical concerns: whether people in an overdose would seek help from police or fire, how often the box is used, and whether the city can legally and administratively target supplies to family members rather than users. One council member recounted a personal family overdose and argued for public access to naloxone as potentially lifesaving.

After debate, council proceeded to a roll-call vote on approval. The council declared the motion failed; the meeting record does not provide a clear, unambiguous numeric roll-call tally in the transcript. The motion’s mover is not clearly identified in the record; Councilman Knight is recorded as seconding a procedural move to remove the item from the table. The council recorded the outcome as "motion does not carry" and did not adopt the $2,700 expenditure.

What it means: The council’s rejection leaves Gateway Church and Project Mayday to seek alternate funding or continue relying on donated product and other channels. Supporters said the opioid fund is among the few sources that can lawfully pay for naloxone-related supplies; opponents argued the city should emphasize human outreach and enforcement to address associated problems. No additional direction to staff or a date for reconsideration was recorded.

The council moved on to other agenda items after the vote.