Update 10 p.m. Monday:
The Vance County Commissioners voted Monday to authorize the execution of the “second wave” of Opioid Settlements written about below, meaning Vance County would receive an additional $2.76 million between 2023 and 2036
Original Update 5:30 p.m. Monday:
The Vance County Commissioners are scheduled to hear this evening all about what amounts to a lot of activity by county staff, who continually work to make sure county business gets taken care of in a timely and efficient manner. Tonight’s meeting begins at 6 p.m.
County Manager Jordan McMillen will share information about money coming into the county from the national opioid settlement, money the county may need to come up with to support KARTS and an upcoming planning retreat for the commissioners and county staff later this week.
These topics and more are scheduled to be part of the county manager’s report to the commissioners at their meeting Monday.
The manager is expected to recommend that Vance County join in “Wave Two” of the opioid settlement, which would bring an additional $600 million to the state to be distributed to local governments and municipalities.
The decision needs to be made by April 18; if the commissioners approve the recommendation, Vance County would receive an additional $2.76 million between 2023 and 2036, McMillen said.
The county has gotten more than $315,000 of its total $3.45 million allotment from Wave One.
McMillen also will present a funding request from KARTS, which operates in the four-county region. The rural transportation service is asking for more “emergency funding” – $75,000 – from Vance County and from the other counties it serves to allow the service to finish out the fiscal year.
The total annual budget is approximately $3.75 million, most of which comes from federal funding. Another 10 percent to 15 percent comes from local counties. McMillen said KARTS is asking for an additional $154,936 in administrative funds for the upcoming FY 2023-24 budget, as well as an extra $32,931 in capital funds to allow for replacement of buses that are over the recommended mileage.
“It is our understanding the funding requests are a result of expiring Federal CARES Act funds which have been instrumental in filling a gap in their new facility and operational costs the past couple of years,” Jordan stated in agenda information. “They have also indicated a need to
increase driver rates and have been paying significant overtime due to driver shortages. The KARTS board is exploring various ways to improve efficiency and raise additional revenue to include possible increased rates for contracted services, recouping money for no shows, and advertising on their vans among other things,” he continued.
The KARTS request may be part of the discussion at the upcoming commissioners’ planning retreat, set for Wednesday, Mar. 8 at the Perry Memorial Library.
The daylong planning retreat will begin at 9 a.m., McMillen noted. Among the agenda items include a board training on establishing a high-performing board, then a finance and budget review, with discussion, from the county finance director.
The day is scheduled to end by 4 p.m., following a goal prioritization session for the upcoming fiscal year.
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