Three Years Later, Opioid Settlement Funds Still Unspent in West Michigan Counties as State Leaders Call for Action

Millions in Opioid Settlement Money Still Sitting in Bank Accounts Across Grand Rapids, Traverse City, and Kalamazoo

More than three years after Michigan communities began receiving millions of dollars to fight the opioid epidemic, some West Michigan communities have yet to spend a dime. The sluggish pace of spending in communities from the wine country of Grand Traverse County to mid-Michigan's Eaton County has frustrated some state leaders and public health advocates.

Michigan is set to receive at least $1.6 billion over 18 years from a national lawsuit settlement with drug manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies that were deemed partly responsible for the opioid crisis. The state is getting half that money, with the rest split between Michigan counties, townships, and cities. The funds began arriving in January 2023.

While experts say the funds are beginning to make a difference, the slow spending in some communities has frustrated state officials. Jonathan Stoltman of the Grand Rapids-based Opioid Policy Institute stated that if there was some deliberative process that took three years, that is too long. Money needs to get out the door.

Grand Traverse County Has $2 Million Unspent

One community that has yet to spend any funds is Grand Traverse County, where Traverse City is located, which has about $2 million from the settlement in the bank and is expected to receive $6.2 million overall. It's taken time to figure out how to use the one-time funds to best address the crisis.

Grand Traverse County Health Officer Mike Lahey told Bridge Michigan that he thinks some localities, while appreciating the funds, were like, Now what. It was a new source of money with new types of parameters around it.

Statewide Accounting Shows 40% of Communities Have Not Spent Money

A 2024 Bridge investigation provided the first statewide accounting of how communities were handling those funds. That investigation found that more than 40% of communities had not spent any funds, with about $90 million sitting in bank accounts.

That closely matched the findings of a survey conducted in the spring of 2025 by the Michigan Association of Counties. Of the 36 counties that responded, 40% had yet to open their checkbooks. That was an improvement from 2024, when a similar survey found 51% had not spent money.

Michigan Soon May Have a More Authoritative Accounting

The Michigan Department of Attorney General has asked counties, townships, and cities receiving opioid settlement funds to report how they've been spent. Those findings are expected to be released this spring, according to Danny Wimmer, a spokesperson for Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Eaton County Still in Planning Stage

Eaton County is among communities yet to distribute funds. The county, which is receiving about $300,000 annually, has developed a strategic plan and a community assessment to identify gaps in mitigation efforts, said Logan Bailey, director of public and governmental affairs for the county in an email to Bridge Michigan. We are still in a planning, assessing, and collecting RFPs stage.

Mason County Forms Advisory Committee

A similar planning phase is underway in Mason County, where a newly formed advisory group is reviewing allowable uses under the settlement and preparing to guide future spending recommendations on more than $1.9 million in expected funds, according to reporting by the Ludington Daily News.

Lenawee County Considering Proposals in April

Officials in Lenawee County, which borders Ohio, will consider $1.25 million in proposals for its first opioid settlement spending in April, according to Community Development Coordinator Francine Zysk.

Isabella County Expects First Spending in 2026

Isabella County, which has $1.1 million in settlement funds in the bank, expects to spend its first settlement funds in 2026.

Schoolcraft County Forming Committee

Schoolcraft County in the Upper Peninsula is just now forming a committee to make spending recommendations.

City of Warren Had $2.9 Million Unspent as of October

The city of Warren had $2.9 million in opioid settlement funds in the bank as of October and had not disbursed any. There are those who are anxious to push dollars out without fully considering community needs, process, best practices, or long-term impact, said Mayor Lori Stone in an October statement.

The Opioid Crisis Continues Despite Funding Delays

Settlement funds are meant to help mitigate the continued harm of the opioid crisis, which as recently as 2023 killed nearly 3,000 Michiganders. An estimated 80% of those deaths were opioid-related.

While overdose deaths declined by a third to 1,938 in 2024, the last year for which the state has complete data, the number of Michigan residents dying from drugs was still higher than the number who died in car crashes.

Despite the crisis, some local governments are only now preparing to begin disbursing funds to community groups that help those battling addiction.

What the Funds Are Meant to Support

The settlement funds are intended for prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts, including expanding access to overdose-reversal drugs like naloxone. Statewide programs using those resources have already distributed hundreds of thousands of doses.

The Cost of Delay

While some local officials argue that careful planning is necessary to ensure funds are used effectively, health advocates worry that the delay means communities are not getting the help they need when they need it.

The opioid crisis has taken a devastating toll on Michigan communities, and while the settlement represents a significant financial resource, the slow pace of spending means that many families and communities are still waiting for help that was promised years ago.

What Comes Next

Michigan soon may have a more authoritative accounting of how local governments are using the funds. The Attorney General's office is expected to release its findings later this year, which should provide a clearer picture of how much money has been spent and where it has gone.

Until then, communities across West Michigan continue to wait, hoping that the money meant to help them fight the opioid epidemic will finally be put to work.