STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
Barren County leaders are preparing to decide how to use roughly $500,000 in opioid settlement money that has been sitting unspent for about three years.
The county’s new opioid abatement fund committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting Monday, Aug. 20, at 9:30 a.m. in the Barren County Fiscal Court chambers.
Opioid abatement funds come from a 2017 federal lawsuit known as the National Prescription Opiate Litigation, which alleged that pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacies and distributors contributed to the opioid crisis by misrepresenting addiction risks and other claims.
Under Kentucky’s settlement structure, a state-level Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission was created to manage 50% of the funds, while the remaining 50% is distributed to qualifying counties and cities.
Barren County began receiving its share of opioid abatement funds in August 2023 and has yet to spend any of the money.
The funds total around $500,000 and have been earning interest at a 6% rate while county leaders develop a plan for how the money should be used.
The Barren County Fiscal Court approved the formation of the seven-member opioid abatement fund committee during its June 2, 2026, meeting.
The committee is made up of the judge-executive, sheriff, jailer, county attorney, two magistrates and one citizen representative.
On June 16, magistrates Tim Durham and Marty Kinslow were selected by Barren County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd to fill the two magistrate seats on the committee.
Byrd said during the June 2 meeting that the judge-executive, sheriff, jailer and county attorney positions on the committee will be filled by whoever is elected to serve in those offices.
The opioid committee will oversee how Barren County’s opioid settlement funds are disbursed and will make recommendations to the full Fiscal Court, which will have final approval before any money is distributed.
A tentative timeline shows the committee plans to complete a needs assessment by Aug. 17, 2026, and finalize evaluation criteria and an application form by Sept. 14, 2026.
Applications for funding are expected to be available to the public beginning Sept. 17, 2026, with a deadline of Oct. 15, 2026, for submissions.
The committee plans to evaluate applications on Oct. 19, 2026, interview final candidates on Nov. 16, 2026, and award grants on Dec. 14, 2026.
All meetings are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. in the Fiscal Court chambers and will be open to the public, though officials note special called meetings may be added if necessary.
Key Facts
– First meeting of Barren County’s opioid abatement fund committee is Monday, Aug. 20 at 9:30 a.m.
– County has received about $500,000 in opioid settlement funds since August 2023 and not yet spent any of it
– Funds stem from national opioid litigation and are split between the state and local governments
– Seven-member committee will recommend how to distribute the county’s share, with final approval by Fiscal Court
– Tentative schedule calls for a needs assessment in August and grant awards by Dec. 14, 2026
– All committee meetings will be at 9:30 a.m. in the Barren County Fiscal Court chambers and open to the public
