MORGANTOWN – Attorney General Patrick Morrisey on Monday explained the next two steps in the process to distribute opioid lawsuit settlement money across the state.
They are: electing members to the West Virginia First Foundation board of directors and naming an executive director to run the foundation. His office sent letters to local governments across the state, he said, to inform them of the steps.
Morrisey reiterated at a Monday press conference that he estimates the total funds will be about $1 billion. After the courts decide appropriate attorney fees and costs, the remainder – hundreds of millions of dollars – will be distributed under the West Virginia First Memorandum of Understanding, with 3% going to a state escrow fund; 72.5% to the West Virginia First Foundation; and 24.5% to counties and municipalities to help with their costs, such as jail fees.
Money can’t be diverted to such things as roads and bridges, he said. It must be used in a manner consistent with the MOU’s definition of an “Approved Purpose,” such as employing evidence-based treatment strategies for substance use disorders or addiction, substance use prevention strategies, law enforcement efforts to curtail drug distribution, supporting addiction recovery programs, or decreasing the oversupply of licit and illicit opioids.
The foundation board will have 11 members, he said, with five appointed by the governor and six elected from the six regions established in the MOU to represent the interests of the local governments.
The county commission president of the largest city in each region must convene a meeting of the local governments in order to elect a director from that region. Some regions have already set meeting dates and others are still working on it.
Monongalia, Preston and Marion are in Region 4 and this meeting has been set for July 13. The meetings will be public and Morrisey said anyone in a region is eligible to participate. “We’re looking to deep public involvement in this.”
For the executive director’s post, Morrisey said DRiWaterstone Human Capital, an Arlington, Va.-based executive search firm, has been contracted to conduct the search. He expects to have a candidate identified in the next 30-60 days, and estimates the cost to conduct the search in the $60,000 to $66,000 range.
Money will be distributed to local governments based on need, Morrisey said, and the foundation will be asked to conduct a needs assessment to make sure the money is spent wisely.
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