By Mary Shinn | Colorado Springs Gazette
El Paso and Teller counties are expected to receive $66 million through 2038 to address the opioid epidemic, a scourge that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives nationally.
A regional council awarded the first round of that funding, about $3.8 million, in April. The council left about $1.1 million in reserve to fund additional youth prevention programs, said Amanda Grant, an El Paso County finance employee who works with the council. She said the region is currently expected to receive $66 million, although the number will fluctuate depending on settlement outcomes.
The board is composed of 15 officials from El Paso and Teller counties, including county commissioners, city and town council members and law enforcement representatives. At the April meeting, six voting members attended and another five members sent proxies to vote on their behalf to dole out the funds for youth and community prevention, medication assisted treatment and family advocates for those who lost someone to an overdose. The money will also fund recovery support, such as sober living homes.