News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Fentress County working out how to best spend opioid abatement settlement money through a newly-formed committee.
County Executive Jimmy Johnson said the county received over $115,000 in their portion of the nationwide settlement.
“The funds that we will receive will go to opioid reduction in the county,” Johnson said. “Hopefully it will go for instructions into the school systems and into the jail, and different things. It’s just a matter of finding out where, and when, and how you can use the money.”
Johnson said the committee consists of medical personnel, law enforcement representatives, and two judges. He said they wanted the committee to comprise individuals who deal with opioid-related situations in their line of work.
Johnson said the concern currently is that there is not a lot of guidance on exactly how the funds can be spent. He said similar to American Rescue Plan funding, leaders are concerned that so much funding and not much information can lead to future issues should the funds not be spent correctly.
