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To amend Ord. No. 2026-063, adopted May 11, 2026, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Special Fund Budget and made appropriations pursuant thereto, by transferring funds in the amount of $400,000.00 from the National Opioid Settlement Special Fund for the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and appropriating such transferred funds in the amount of $400,000.00 to the Medication Assisted Treatment Pilot Program Special Fund for the City Sheriff for the purpose of funding the Medication Assisted Treatment Pilot Program.
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THE CITY OF RICHMOND HEREBY ORDAINS:
§ 1. That Article 1, Section 2 of Ordinance No. 2026-063, adopted May 11, 2026, which adopted a Special Fund Budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027, and made appropriations pursuant thereto, be and is hereby amended by transferring funds in the amount of $400,000.00 from the National Opioid Settlement Special Fund for the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and appropriating such transferred funds in the amount of $400,000.00 to the Medication Assisted Treatment Pilot Program Special Fund for the City Sheriff for the purpose of funding the Medication Assisted Treatment Pilot Program. Such appropriation shall be conditioned upon the satisfaction of all conditions precedent and conditions applicable thereto set forth in the Opioid Funds Agreement authorized by Ordinance No. 2024-297, adopted December 9, 2024.
§ 2. This ordinance shall be in force and effect upon adoption.
DATE: April 27, 2026
TO: The Honorable Members of City Council
THROUGH: The Honorable Danny Avula, Mayor
THROUGH: Odie Donald II, Chief Administrative Officer
THROUGH: Letitia Shelton, Director of Finance
THROUGH: Meghan Brown, Director of Budget and Strategic Planning
THROUGH: Amy Popovich, DCAO for Human Services
FROM: Jason Alley, Policy Advisor
RE: To transfer $400,000.00 from the National Opioid Settlement Special Fund for the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services to the Medication Assisted Treatment Pilot Program Special Fund for the Sheriff’s Office and to appropriate the $400,000.00 for the purpose of funding the Sheriff’s operation of the MAT Pilot Program.
ORD. OR RES. No.
PURPOSE: To amend Ord. No. 2026-063, adopted May 11, 2026, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Special Fund Budget and made appropriations pursuant thereto, by transferring funds in the amount of $400,000.00 from the National Opioid Settlement Special Fund for the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and appropriating such transferred funds in the amount of $400,000.00 to the Medication Assisted Treatment Pilot Program Special Fund for the purpose of funding the Medication Assisted Treatment Pilot Program (“MAT Pilot Program”). The appropriation to the Medication Assisted Treatment Pilot Program Special Fund for a MAT Pilot Program is conditioned upon the Sheriff’s compliance with the terms of the Opioid Funds Agreement between the City of Richmond and the Sheriff.
BACKGROUND: Ordinance No. 2025-002 authorized the City of Richmond to accept and
appropriate $1,850,287.27 of opioid settlement funds to a new National Opioid Settlement Special Fund for the purpose of funding new investments in identified priority areas including: peer recovery specialist, housing and housing support, addressing gaps in coordination and linkages to treatment, services, and other supports, and harm reduction strategies.
The risk of fatal overdose for formerly incarcerated people is significantly heightened, with studies reporting that individuals who have been recently released from incarceration are up to forty times more likely to die of an opioid overdose within the first two weeks of release. This percentage substantially decreases if the individual can remain on their prescribed medication for opioid use disorder (“MOUD”) throughout their incarceration and beyond release.
The City desires to (i) transfer $400,000.00 of the funds in the National Opioid Settlement Special Fund to the Medication Assisted Treatment Pilot Program Special Fund Sheriff’s Office and (ii) appropriate the $400,000.00 to support the MAT Pilot Program to be run by the Sheriff’s Office.
These funds would be available to the Sheriff’s Office to fund the MAT Pilot Program within the RCJC. Medication assisted treatment (“MAT”) is the use of MOUD alongside counseling and behavioral therapies, to treat opioid use disorder, and is considered the gold standard in treatment of opioid use disorder. The MAT Pilot Program is to provide MOUD to those incarcerated at the RCJC and have been transferred in with a valid prescription for MOUD from a community provider.
This funding included MOUD and provides for the Sheriff to hire an additional registered nurse who will oversee the MAT Pilot Program, including but not limited to, intake screening and assessment for substance use disorders (“SUD”), coordination with outside providers for inmates incarcerated at RCJC who have a valid prescription for MOUD, SUD and MOUD education programming, and MOUD-specific discharge planning. The MAT Pilot Program is monitored and evaluated by the Opioid Response Strategist in Neighborhood and Community Services in conjunction with RCJC program staff.
Additionally, this amendment directs Richmond City Sheriff’s Office to track and report semiannually the number of individuals entering the Richmond Justice Center through the intake process who are not served by the MAT Pilot Program, but who self-identify or are otherwise identified as persons who use drugs or persons with a SUD. Richmond City Sheriff’s Office shall ensure that individuals identified through the intake process as persons who use drugs or substance use disorders are offered and furnished naloxone upon release from the Richmond Justice Center, subject to availability and applicable laws, policies, and procedures.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Opioid abatement and remediation strategies utilized by the City of Richmond have and continue to be informed by significant stakeholder engagement and developed with direct input and support from external agencies and subject matter experts, including the Richmond Opioid Task Force.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL: RES. 2022-R013 declaring opioid drug overdose deaths as a public health crisis in the City of Richmond; Richmond Opioid Task Force
FISCAL IMPACT: There will be a reduction of $400,000.00 from the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services’ National Opioid Settlement Special Fund and an increase of $400,000.00 in the Sheriff’s Office’s Medication Assisted Treatment Pilot Program Special Fund.
DESIRED EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon adoption
REQUESTED INTRODUCTION DATE: July 27, 2026
CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING DATE: September 10, 2026
REQUESTED AGENDA: Consent agenda
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL COMMITTEE: Education and Human Services
AFFECTED AGENCIES: Budget and Strategic Planning, Finance, Neighborhood and Community Services, Richmond City Sheriff’s Office
RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING ORD. OR RES.: Res. No. 2018-R094; Ord. No. 2021-234; Res. No. 2021-R078; Res. No. 2022-R013; Res. No. 2023-R010; Ord. No. 2023-293; Ord. No. 2024-099; Ord. No. 2024-297; Ord. No. 2024-298; Ord. No. 2025-002; Ord. No. 2025-057; Ord. No. 2025-124; Ord. No. 2026-126
ATTACHMENTS: VOAA Estimated Direct Distribution of Funds to Localities, Exhibit E, Approved Uses and Core Strategies for Opioid Remediation Funds; proposed Second Amendment to Opioid Funds Agreement
STAFF: Anna Jones, Opioid Response Strategist, 804-987-9160, anna.jones@rva.gov
Jason Alley, Policy Advisor, 804-401-5863, jason.alley@rva.gov