ELKINS — Elkins City Council will look at authorizing participation in the more than $7 billion nationwide opioid settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family during Thursday’s council meeting.

Council will vote Thursday on taking part in the $7.4 billion settlement between all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories, and Purdue Pharma, the maker of Oxycontin, and the company’s owners, the Sackler family. Council will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Phil Gainer Community Center.

The settlement was agreed to by all states, territories and parties in June, and payouts are expected to occur over the next 15 years.

During city council’s July 24 meeting, Elkins City Attorney Geraldine Roberts said Elkins had received letters from state Attorney General John McCuskey that informed counties and municipalities they had until October to sign on to receive payouts from the settlement.

As per the agreement with Purdue Pharma, West Virginia can receive approximately $53 million over nine years from the total settlement money.

“In order for the State of West Virginia to get any funds that would be part of (the nationwide settlement), they need these municipalities and county commissions to sign on,” Roberts told council. “At some point you’ll have to agree to this, then authorize the mayor to sign off on an order to participate in this national opioid settlement.”

On Aug. 13, the City of Elkins released information on its website regarding the amount of settlement money the city had received from the previous $26 billion national opioid settlement against pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies, and how that money was being used by the city.

As of August, Elkins reported that it had received $27,000 from the previous opioid settlement. The city also reported that Randolph County had received approximately $500,000 as of August. 

West Virginia is expected to receive approximately $980 million over a period of 17 years, with the payout money being split 72.5% to West Virginia First Foundation, 24.5% directly to local governments within West Virginia and 3% to the West Virginia state government.

The City of Elkins, according to its website, has allocated that $27,000 in funds to youth prevention programs, such as the GameChanger program, a West Virginia-based drug prevention program.

In November 2024, a public/private partnership between Randolph County Schools, the City of Elkins, the Randolph County Commission, MegaCorp and GameChanger was announced. The partnership saw Elkins Middle School, Elkins High School and Tygarts Valley Middle/High School become GameChanger Schools for the 2024-2025 school year.

Created in 2018, GameChanger, according to its website, is a “Student-Powered Substance Misuse Prevention Movement connecting West Virginia students and the educators who care about them with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation to build school environments which prevent student opioid and other drug use before it starts.” 

GameChanger involves program coaches and student peers working with other students to help them make good choices when it comes to alcohol, opioids and other drugs.

The city will work with Randolph County Public Schools to “launch peer leadership programs in schools to prevent substance use disorders (SUD).”

City officials said they are also committed to issuing more information on the City’s Regional Task Force on Homelessness, Addiction and Mental Health, which formed in 2021. 

The Task Force, according to the city’s website, focuses on substance use disorder support with “expanding prevention and treatment resources,” homelessness services by “identifying and coordinating support for unhoused individuals” and mental health access by “improving availability of mental health resources.” The Task Force meets every fourth Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. at the Phil Gainer Community Center.

“We recognize residents deserve clear information about how opioid settlement funds are being used in our community,” Elkins City Communication Manager Leon Kaye told The Inter-Mountain in a statement.

“These resources come at a critical time as we continue addressing the interconnected challenges of addiction, homelessness and mental health through our Regional Task Force – which has met publicly since 2021. From now on, we commit to better notification, as in proactively reminding all stakeholders about monthly meetings.”

Kaye also stated that the city will be issuing timely summaries of Task Force meeting outcomes and accomplishments.

“The Task Force’s work has never been more important, and we want every resident to have opportunities to be a part of this process,” Kaye said.