County Seeks Clarity On Using Opioid Funds For K-9 Related Expenses

Mills County officials are hoping to get some clarity on whether opioid settlement funds can be spent for K-9 unit-related expenses.

The county has received around $350,000 from the national settlement with major pharmaceutical producers and distributors and there appears to be interest in spending some of those funds to help the Glenwood
Police Department and Mills County Sheriff’s Office offset K-9 unit expenses. However, Mills County Auditor Amber Farnan told the board of supervisors last week she doubts K-9 expenses would fit the state’s “core strategies” criteria for how the settlement funds can be spent by individual counties.

“It would be a great use, but I don’t think it’s allowed,” she said “And, if we are found using it for a not-allowed purpose, then the county has to come up with those funds from another (account), like our general (fund), to repay it.”

The allowed purposes for opioid settlement dollars include purchasing drugs intended to help reverse overdoses and funding opioid related treatment and prevention programs.

Richard Crouch, chair of the Mills County Board of Supervisors, voiced his frustration with the limitations put on the opioid funds while speaking at the board’s regular meeting last week.“This was set up to take care of our problem with drugs,” he said.

“Having a K-9 unit, whether it’s county or city, if we can even get one, I feel it is important.  Yes, when you say drug dog, well we can’t pay for that, we can’t pay for that cage in the vehicle, we can’t do this, we can’t do that. Then, why did they come up with drug money?  We got it because we won the cases, but then we turn around and we can’t use if for what it’s adequately for.”

Crouch then addressed members of the law enforcement community in the audience.

“We can get all sorts of money for training and stuff for you guys, but you got limitations on that,” he said. “ I’ve been to a lot of conferences and a lot of people are putting vending machines into the high schools with Narcan in it.  So, what’s the difference of buying a vending machine with it that’s setting it in a public building for everyone to look at, as to buying  a cage to put a dog in to search for drugs.

“I think the legislators really need to sit down and take a look at this. We won the case to help the taxpayers and here we got all this money sitting in this. What do we do with it?”

Fellow supervisor Jack Sayers said it’s his understanding that Fremont County and Lee County both used opioid funds to purchase K-9 vehicles, but Fremont County did an $8,000 contribution. Lee County did a $30,000 contribution.

“There could be a cross-sharing agreement where we pay for part of it,” he said.

No action was taken on the matter last week by the supervisors, allowing Farnan and the Mills County Attorney’s Office to study the matter further.

To date, Farnan said the county has spent about $58,000 of its opioid settlement funds.