ABQ Times

Eric Olivas, chair of the Local Government Coordinating Commission, alongside Vice-Chair Adriann Barboa, has presented the Joint Opioid Settlement Plan Resolution. The proposal, considered by the Bernalillo Board of County Commissioners, was unanimously approved with a 5-0 vote during the recent meeting.

The City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County pursued litigation against pharmaceutical manufacturers and other entities, aiming to secure compensation for the damages inflicted by the opioid crisis. As a result, these two government bodies are set to receive a combination of lump sum and recurring payments totaling $150 million from Opioid Settlement Funds.

In the previous year, Albuquerque and Bernalillo County engaged the services of Vital Strategies. This organization assisted in formulating a strategic plan that served as the foundation for the Local Government Coordinating Commission members from Bernalillo County, the City of Albuquerque, and APS to prepare the Joint Opioid Settlement Plan.

The plan outlines the recommended allocation of settlement funding: 60% is to be directed towards Intervention and Treatment, while the remaining 40% will support Prevention and Community Revitalization. There are eight specific categories under these allocations, including Connecting Disconnected Youth, Comprehensive Education, Peer Support Expansion, Recovery Housing, Community-Based Treatment Access and Quality, Leveraging the Sobering Center, Naloxone Access Expansion, and Expanding Mobile Crisis Response Services.

The Albuquerque City Council has already approved the settlement plan by an 8-1 vote, and the APS Board granted it initial approval this month. The Board of County Commissioners is expected to conduct a final adoption vote at its upcoming administrative meeting on April 22, 2025.