Farmington Hills’ use of opioid funds to pad budget prompts AG complaint

Michigan is expected to receive nearly $1.6 billion over 18 years from drug manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies thought to be partly responsible for the opioid epidemic that kills nearly 3,000 people a year statewide.

“The settlement agreement states that at least 70% of the funds must be used.”for future opioid remediation only..” The same minimum spending breakdown is echoed in the state’s budget 2021 agreement with local governments.

Relating to:

Most other communities use the money for other services to help users recover, such as treatment or transportation.

Farmington Hills’ spending “is contrary to the purpose of the funds and is in direct violation of the settlement agreements.” complaintFiled by Jonathan Stoltman, executive director of the Grand Rapids-based Opioid Policy Institute advocacy group.

The complaint is the first filed with the attorney general regarding the resolution of the case. The office has the authority to investigate misuse of funds by local communities, which will eventually receive at least $745 million.

But how those dollars are spent is a mystery because the state doesn’t track local governments’ opioid settlement spending and there’s no formal mechanism for the office to learn when a community is spending funds improperly.

Danny Wimmer, a spokesman for Attorney General Dana Nessel, said the Attorney General’s Office could file lawsuits or seek “accounting relief” if communities fail to comply with the agreement.