Calvert County’s Department Of Community Resources Requests $154K Budget Adjustment To Support Opioid Restitution Fund

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — The Department of Community Resources requested a budget adjustment in the amount of $154,500 for fiscal year 2026 to support the first annual distribution of opioid restitution funds at the Jan. 13 Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting.

The opioid restitution fund (ORF) is a program that allows state and local governments to receive settlements from opioid manufacturers, so they can use this money to help their communities. According to the county website, state legislation passed in 2019 directs these funds to support prevention, treatment and recovery programs that make a real difference in people’s lives. Calvert County has received more than $1.3 million in opioid restitution funds in response to the impacts of the opioid epidemic, to support eligible uses outlined in Appendix E of the National Settlement Agreement.

For this fiscal year, six applications were submitted, totaling approximately $309,000 in requests. Budget adjustments are common throughout the fiscal year. In this case, the budget amendment will move the $154,500 from the Opioid Litigation Fund to the miscellaneous type expense spend category, which will allow Community Resources to process and pay the awarded grants appropriately.

As required by law, Calvert County advertised a public hearing for the budget change. There were no speakers on the change at the Jan. 13 meeting.

Some of the funds from the award will go toward training first responders on opioid response and prevention, with a focus on harm reduction. Director of Community Resources Jennifer Moreland said that the county has been strict with its use of the funds and compliant with the rules for how the settlement can be used, and that some of the approach is evidence-based, while other aspects are community-based, like mentorship programs.

The record will stay open for 10 days before the BOCC can adopt the measure.

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