TRAVERSE CITY— Grand Traverse County officials are navigating competing pressures as they plan how to spend nearly $2 million in opioid settlement funds, with community advocates urging immediate action while county leaders emphasize the need for careful evaluation.
At a study session on Wednesday, Health Officer Mike Lahey presented updates on the county’s Opioid Settlement Spending Advisory Committee, which was established in August 2025 to provide oversight and develop recommendations for allocating the settlement dollars.
The county has received approximately $1.9 million from opioid-related legal settlements, with the total potentially higher when including investment income earned over the past three years.
Lahey told commissioners the health department received 16 applications for three community-based seats on the seven-member advisory committee. The committee also includes four county officials representing the Board of Commissioners, Health Department, Sheriff’s Office, and potentially a diversion specialist rather than the originally proposed prosecuting attorney representative.
Final committee selections are expected by Feb. 13, with the first meeting scheduled for early March. The committee will review funding proposals from local service providers and make recommendations to the Board of Commissioners, which retains final decision-making authority.
The health department has prepared a request for proposals that is approximately 80% complete, modeled after RFPs used by Washtenaw County and other Michigan communities further along in distributing their settlement funds. Lahey said he wants the newly formed committee to review the RFP before it is published.
During public comment, community members stressed the need for faster action, citing immediate needs in the county.
“I just want to continue to stress an urgency to keep this moving forward,” said David McGreaham of Garfield Township, who urged officials to avoid “paralysis by analysis.”
McGreaham referenced work done by a previous opioid epidemic task force that had already prioritized needs, including expanding the countywide Quick Response Team, addressing housing and transportation barriers, and prevention programs.
“We have people who, can’t get a ride to treatment facilities. We have people coming back from treatment facilities that have no place to go,” McGreaham said. “Housing and transportation around Northern Michigan are really key issues.”
Jerry Morris of East Bay Township expressed similar concerns, noting the county has already spent $80,000 on a facilitator for the task force that produced a report years ago.
“People are in need out there,” Morris said. He also questioned how much investment income has been earned on the settlement funds over three years, suggesting it could amount to $250,000 to $500,000 in additional resources.
Morris advocated for supporting existing recovery housing rather than building new structures, citing his experience running recovery houses that serve 14 people. He also suggested settlement funds could help cover costs like alcohol monitoring devices that can cost individuals $160 per week.
Lahey outlined several steps the committee will take before distributing funds, including conducting a needs assessment using the Michigan Association of Counties’ Recovery Ready Community Assessment tool.
“I would prefer that we not all come together as a committee for that first meeting with no work being done,” Lahey said. “I would prefer that we present items to them and we can get off to the races here.”
The health department is reviewing content from the previous opioid epidemic task force and other resources to inform the committee’s work. Lahey said the county has enough internal resources and framework to complete the assessment without hiring outside consultants like Michigan State University.
The advisory committee’s objectives include coordinating the RFP process, reviewing proposals, promoting equitable evidence-informed investments, supporting transparency through public-facing recommendations, and developing a long-term transition plan.
Under the approved spending plan, the committee will focus on five core values: saving lives, using evidence-based guidance, addressing inequities, promoting transparency, and ensuring community input. All funding must align with approved opioid remediation uses outlined in the settlement agreement.who
The tension between methodical planning and urgent community needs reflects a broader challenge facing counties across Michigan as they work to distribute opioid settlement funds effectively.
Commissioners did not take action at the study session but acknowledged both the importance of strategic planning and community concerns about timing.
The opioid crisis has significantly impacted Grand Traverse County and Northern Michigan, with advocates emphasizing that delays in funding distribution mean continued gaps in critical services like case management, transportation to treatment, and recovery housing.
The advisory committee is expected to make its first funding recommendations to the Board of Commissioners following completion of the needs assessment and review of submitted proposals, though no specific timeline has been established for when funds will begin flowing to programs.