Funding proposal raises questions
Opioid settlement $170,000 budget request
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HOUGHTON - A $170,000 budget request submitted by the 97th District Court raised questions regarding fund eligibility during the Houghton County Board of Commissioners work session Monday.
According to the proposal, the court is seeking $170,000 in national opioid settlement funds for the first year and $135,000 annually thereafter to support localized drug testing, probation monitoring and community supervision. The investment is subject to the county’s determination that the expenditures qualify under restricted remediation guidelines.
The requested allocation immediately caused concerns from Commissioner Glenn Anderson regarding whether the funding would target opioid remediation or general alcohol offenses.
“My only question is are we sure it’s opioids and not alcohol,” Anderson said. “I mean if it’s drugs versus alcohol, looking at some of the opioid stuff out there, it’s got to be focused towards opioids.”
97th District Court Administrator and Magistrate Keith Anderson defended the proposal, stating the court has extensively reviewed the national settlement terms.
“In terms of the -- I think the appendix -- speaks to what the allowable expenditures can look like,” Keith Anderson said. “To me, at least on the level that I stand at, I feel like we’re not contrary to the appendix itself as far as specificity to a drug or alcohol. From our perspective, it’s working for both.”
Magistrate Anderson added the court has the compliance support of County Contract Administrator Easont Laitila, who also operates as a licensed real estate salesperson and property manager. Laitila’s review reportedly concluded that the requested line items do not violate the terms of the settlement appendix.
When asked by Glenn Anderson for a participant breakdown, Keith Anderson acknowledged that alcohol remains the primary driver on the local range.
“I’d probably say it’s two-thirds alcohol and a third would be drug use dependency,” he said, cautioning that the figures represented a long-term rough estimate. “Don’t quote me on those numbers, but that’s what I’m looking at over the years.”
Jail Committee co-chair Faith Morrison shifted the discussion by asking whether the county’s designated opioid task force had reviewed the court’s request.
“The county joined an opioid task force group, I thought, to get a group of people to have eyes on just the kinds of questions Commissioner Anderson was talking about,” Morrison said. “Have we heard from them?”
County Administrator Chelsea Rheault clarified that while the board voted in September to formally authorize a task force of fewer than 10 members, no active appointments have been finalized. Rheault noted that Treatment Court Administrator Gail Ploe originally requested the panel to include judicial officials, health professionals and members of the public.
When asked for funding details, Rheault stated that Houghton County is projected to receive a cumulative $1.8 million in national opioid settlement distributions allocated over an 18-year period.
Citing persistent uncertainties regarding expenditure eligibility, Glenn Anderson recommended passing the court’s packet to the Michigan Association of Counties (MAC) to secure an independent opinion.
“He (Daavettila) did not sayin his letter that he thinks it’s qualified. I wish he did,” Commissioner Anderson said. “I guess I just want to be cautious that before we make a commitment, that we do it so that we don’t have any issues down the road. I don’t know where we get that guidance other than it’s out there. MAC certainly has it. My suggestion is to send the letter to MAC and the opioid consultant they have and see if you get a third opinion on whether it meets the guidelines.”