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Opioid settlement committee long overdue

3 min read

Kudos to the Washington County commissioners.

In a rare unanimous vote on a major decision by the politically divided three-person board, the commissioners have appointed a committee of seven community members to decide which programs should be subsidized with the county’s share of the nationwide opioid settlement fund.

Until now, those decisions were left to three county employees with no background in drug rehabilitation who were reviewing applications from agencies seeking a share of the annual distribution – totaling $1.6 million in 2026 alone – and making recommendations to the commissioners.

That the majority of those on the new selection panel are knowledgeable individuals whose experience will prove invaluable over the next 18 years of disbursements from the Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust is heartening. Among them are drug rehabilitation specialists, teachers, nonprofit leaders, school administrators and a police chief – all of whom have boots-on-the-ground familiarity with opioid addiction.

For a region once considered to be at the epicenter of the opioid addiction crisis, it is critical that decisions are the result of careful scrutiny to help ensure positive outcomes. While data from the state Department of Health suggests overdose deaths are on the decline, 3,341 lives were lost in 2024, down 29% from the previous year. Of those, 53 were in Washington County.

“We purposely selected individuals who represent Washington County as a whole – bringing the background, experience and education necessary to ensure these funds support projects that create lasting impact at every stage of the opioid crisis,” commission Chairman Nick Sherman said in a written statement prior to the Feb. 19 vote.

Undoubtedly, the impetus to stack the new panel with experts was nudged along by the trust’s dispute resolution committee, which oversees disbursements statewide. In early December, the committee declared eight grants in Washington County as “non-compliant” – a ruling the county has since appealed – and another nine “still under consideration.” At the time, Sherman blamed the rejections on a revised review process that changed what information was needed in the description of the application.

Commissioner Larry Maggi, who has long pushed for the new local review committee, astutely observed, “We are the custodians of these funds that are to be used to fight the opioid epidemic. It is our responsibility to ensure they are used properly, and in the best interest of the people of Washington County.”

We wholeheartedly agree, and are hopeful that the nonpartisan vote signals the harbinger of a new spirit of cooperation among the commissioners who hopefully continue to set aside their political differences to work together for the good of the community.

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