(The Center Square) – A plan to use $9 million in settlement money to fund opioid initiatives in Milwaukee is being pushed through by County Executive David Crowley and could be given the OK as soon as next week.
The funds would support a seven-part plan to expand treatment, prevention and harm reduction by the opioid epidemic in Milwaukee County through 2028, according to Crowley.
The Milwaukee County Board Committee on Finance approved the plan unanimously recently, and the full county Board of Supervisors is set to vote on it at their meeting Thursday.
“My administration continues to deploy opioid settlement dollars across Milwaukee County,” Crowley said. “These upstream investments are proving to be effective, but we know there’s more work to do in expanding substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery efforts.”
Milwaukee County alone is expected to receive $111 million over 18 years from recent national opioid lawsuit settlements, according to Crowley.
Already, $34 million has been allocatedto a handful of funded in the county.
This proposal would allocate more than $9 million to Crowley’s opioid initiatives only for fiscal years 2026-2028.
The seven programs Crowley will be asking the Board of Supervisors to approve are to include residential room and board funding for people receiving substance abuse treatment, door-to-door outreach to older adults and disabled individuals, supporting organizations partnered with the Department of Health and Human Services, and funding other staffing positions in the Medical Examiner’s office.
Milwaukee County has seen a continual upward trend in fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses, with the Medical College of Wisconsin reporting a 495% increase in heroin-related deaths in the county since 2005.
“This funding will allow DHHS to continue the life-saving work that began with the initial round of opioid settlement funds,” said Shakita LaGrant-McClain, executive director of the county’s DHHS. “We are seeing promising trends and look forward to continuing our prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery work, including ensuring residents have access to harm reduction supplies, targeted community outreach, and collaboration with community partners.”
• Elijah Guevara is an intern reporter and member of the 2025 Searle Freedom Trust Apprentice and Internship initiative.
