Cheryl Andrews, executive director of the Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission, told the Washington County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 20 that the county’s proposed 2026 budget appears to create county positions that could duplicate services WDAC currently provides and urged the board to pause a specific appropriation until state guidance and a transparent process are in place. "The public deserves to know the actual plan," Andrews said, asking the board to reconsider the appropriation for an executive director, deputy director and 10 reclassified positions.

Why it matters: WDAC and other speakers said opioid-settlement funds — more than $5,000,000, according to remarks in the meeting — have been distributed without published criteria or a formal review process, which they said undermines public trust and risks future support for treatment services. Public commenters asked for meeting minutes and audits of prior awards and proposed a five-member oversight board to administer the opioid trust fund.

Commissioners responded that allocations are publicly documented and defended their actions. The chair said, "Every dime is allocated is on a public website by Penn State that is following every dollar that we have for this," and noted the three commissioners had voted unanimously on the projects. Commissioner Maggi said he would vote yes on the overall 2026 budget to fund essential services but opposed creating a "new government bureaucracy" to replicate WDAC functions and said he would not support those positions later.

WDAC’s clinical director, Laura Dieterly, also addressed substance-use treatment inside the county jail, saying WDAC launched a jail MAT program in 2017 and that the program is funded through a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency grant that runs through September 2026. "It is not the SCA's responsibility to fund MAT inside the jail," Dieterly said, stressing that some jail MAT costs are paid from the inmate fund and that program capacity limits reflect treatment ratios and space, not WDAC funding decisions.

Public commenters proposed structural changes. One attendee urged creation of a five-member oversight board that would include municipal leaders and an at-large commissioner appointee, and requested release of past meeting minutes and audits of prior awards so residents can review how awards were decided.

What happened next: Despite the public concerns, the board moved forward on the 2026 budget and related items during the meeting. Several commissioners said they were willing to meet with WDAC leadership to review the requested budget materials and documentation. WDAC leaders said they remain ready to meet but want a process "rooted in honesty and integrity" and public accountability. The board scheduled follow-up opportunities and set the next regular meeting for Dec. 18, 2025.