The Hampshire County Commission voted 2–1 to allocate $59,642 from county opioid settlement funds to support renovations on the former Board of Education building so the South Branch Valley Day Report Center and the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office can relocate there.

DRC leaders said the money would help replace the building roof and offset other renovation costs; the roof alone was estimated at roughly $85,000 in materials and work. Darren (last name not specified), who presented the DRC request, said moving into a county‑owned facility would allow the program to eliminate rental costs and split utilities with law enforcement. “This project will relocate the DRC to a county owned facility shared with the Hampshire County Sheriff's Department,” he said during the presentation.

Commissioners and DRC staff described potential long‑term savings if the move avoids an estimated $100,000 demolition bill for the building. DRC representatives said the program serves about 70 county participants and provides substance testing, recovery education, parenting and life skills classes, and telehealth therapy. The DRC’s presenter told commissioners that housing approximately 60 nonviolent offenders in jail for a year at $55 per day would cost about $1.2 million, a comparison used to frame the program’s cost effectiveness.

Sheriff’s Office representatives said the building relocation would also address space and evidence‑processing shortages in current facilities. "This really opens up more… room for expansion for assessor, tax office and the sheriff's office," a sheriff’s representative said.

Commissioners discussed the DRC’s grant applications, including a pending West Virginia First Foundation request that could provide additional operational funds; they expressed caution about committing all county opioid dollars before grants were awarded. Commissioner Cannon proposed the opioid allocation; the motion passed 2–1 after Commissioner Mance voted against it. Commissioners later voted to continue the county’s annual matching contribution to the DRC program at the same level as last year (the match supports personnel in a multi‑county grant and was described in the meeting as $20,000 per county), a motion that passed unanimously.

What’s next: The commission directed staff and the DRC to proceed with renovation planning and to coordinate with the West Virginia First Foundation grant timeline. The DRC will report back on grant awards and detailed renovation budgets; county staff said they may need to supplement funds if grant awards fall short.