GRATIOT COUNTY — Gratiot County is preparing its second round of grants from national opioid settlement money. The request for proposals we reported Sept. 18 closed Oct. 16. This report sets out what the public record shows about how much money there is and how it has been handed out.
How much
The county’s May 2025 request for proposals says Gratiot had received $615,000 from opioid settlements and expects an average of about $120,955 a year for 18 years. It notes that the amount changes from year to year.
Who decides
A steering committee, run through the Mid-Michigan District Health Department, scores proposals and recommends awards; the county holds the money, and the Board of Commissioners approves the awards. Money may go to prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery and education programs that serve Gratiot residents.
Round one
The committee’s June 24, 2025 recommendation covers grants running Aug. 1, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2026, and says the awards fit within the expected 18-year allocation. The recipients and amounts are not in the text of the recommendation as posted on BoardBook.
Round two
The county’s Oct. 6 minutes record, under the administrator’s report, a “meeting on Opioid” and a look at how to use the settlement money. The Gratiot County Herald reported Oct. 7 that commissioners are preparing a second round of awards. No awards from the second round have been posted.
Questions that remain
- Who received round-one grants, how much did each receive, and what has each reported back?
- How much of the settlement money received so far has not been awarded?
- How many proposals came in by the Oct. 16 deadline, and when will the board vote on round two?
We are requesting the round-one award records.
Corrections and responses are welcome.