Item:
Title
Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 25BCC086 - Appropriate General Fund Fund Balance Totaling $452,437.63 to Increase Expenditure Authority for the Sheriff’s Office Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) grant and to Classify These Funds as Restricted
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: April 14, 2025
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to approve Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 25BCC086 recognizing $452,437.63 of General Fund fund balance to increase expenditure authority for the Sheriff’s Office MAT in Jails grant. MAT in Jails is a North Carolina Department of Public Safety Grant received by the Durham County Sheriff’s Office to be used at the County Detention Center. In addition to the requested spending authority, the DCSO is requesting that the funds be classified as restricted and any remaining funds at the end of FY2025 be placed in a restricted fund reserve for future use. This is due to the grant specifications that the grant funds be spent on MAT related purposes in the Detention facility. This grant received initial funding approval during the July 10, 2023, BOCC meeting through Budget ordinance 23BCC00004, approving $226,600 of the total $458,700 for Year 1 of this grant. Year 1 expenditures totaled $6,262.37. Due to the initial appropriation not being expended by the end of the fiscal year 6/30/2024, these funds were returned to the general fund. The Sheriff Office has developed a plan to expend the remaining funds and are now requesting the spending authority to be able to do so.
This funding will increase opioid use disorder treatment and add support for individuals suffering from alcoholism by introducing Vivitrol into the treatment program. North Carolina continues to experience the harmful effects of the opioid epidemic. Researchers examined rates of fatal drug overdose among justice-involved individuals in North Carolina and found opioid overdose mortality rates more than 40 times higher than the general population. Those rates were highest during the first two weeks following release from custody. In accordance with Session Law 2021-180, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (DPS) is soliciting applications from Sheriffs' Offices to establish, expand or maintain medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs of non-opioid, long-acting, injectable medication for the treatment of alcohol and/or opioid use disorder as part of reentry programming in county jails.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: This request aligns with Durham County Strategic Goal: Financial Stewardship
Resource Persons: Keisha Gaither, Finance Manager, Durham County Sheriff’s Office; Crystally Wright, Chief Finance Officer, Durham County; Clarence Birkhead, Durham County Sheriff.
County Manager’s Recommendation: The County Manager recommends approval of Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 25BCC086 appropriating $452,437.63 of General Fund fund balance to Increase Expenditure Authority for the Sheriff’s Office Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) grant and to classify these funds as restricted.
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________