The City of Albuquerque announced that Councilors approved legislation to establish the City's policy for utilizing funds received from opioid settlements to combat the damages caused by synthetic opioid misuse. This collaborative effort between the City and County aims to maximize the impact of these funds through strategic program spending according to a press release by the City of Albuquerque.
According to the City of Albuquerque, the approved resolution, R-23-174, establishes that unappropriated settlement funds and forthcoming opioid settlement funds cannot be allocated until specific processes are executed. These include estimating the fund balance and timeline, collaborating closely with Bernalillo County, seeking input from the State of New Mexico, Tribal Governments, and other local authorities, and involving the public through a planning process that includes outreach to providers, affected communities, and business associations.
“These settlement funds are in no way sufficient to address the full spectrum of needs for our community,” said Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn. “However, it is a unique and potentially transformational opportunity for targeted spending to address some of these needs in the City and the County.”
City Councilors, including Tammy Fiebelkorn, Renée Grout, and Brook Bassan, sponsored legislation during the City Council Meeting on Oct. 16, 2023. The Bernalillo County Commission, with the support of Chairwoman Barbara Baca and Commissioner Eric Olivas, endorsed a parallel resolution at their October 10, 2023 meeting. These settlements are the result of legal actions against pharmaceutical companies for their role in the widespread damage caused by synthetic opioid marketing and distribution.
“Opioid settlement monies will be received by the City and County in payments over a number of years depending on the specific agreements,” said Councilor Brook Bassan. “While the range of possible uses of these funds is broad, many of the uses fall into the category of recurring expenditures, so we need to ensure the understanding of the need to commit future dollars to these expenses.”
The City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County will plan projects with alternate budget resources to ensure continued operations in the future as the opioid settlement funds are one-time money, according to the City of Albuquerque. The collaborative effort between the City and County aims to maximize the impact of these funds through strategic program spending.