ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Board of Commissioners was on tap to approve nearly $700,000 in funding for various opioid-related projects on Tuesday.
But that didn’t happen.
The board, instead, decided to table the requests until the August meeting.
Theressa Smith, interim social services director and chair of the Richmond County Drug Endangered Family Task Force, approached the podium during the July 1 meeting, first asking the board to approve recommendations for already existing projects.
DEFT is tasked with making recommendations on how money from the various opioid settlements is spent, but commissioners have the final say.
The first of those requests was $53,793.02 for FirstHealth of the Carolinas’ Peer Support program. Smith said the program was previously funded at $75,000, but after making staffing adjustments, “they haven’t needed all of the money.”
Smith also recommended $91,020 for Samaritan Colony’s men’s treatment program and $75,000 for its upcoming women’s treatment program.
The board has approved nearly $200,000 for Samaritan Colony’s treatment program for men, which reportedly served a total of 22 clients from July to December 2024, with 14 completing the program.
The SECU Women’s Recovery Center is slated to open this year.
Interim Social Services Director Theressa Smith makes recommendations on projects to be funded from the opioid settlement.
William R. Toler - Richmond Observer
Smith said Samaritan Colony has used all of its prior funding and met all of its goals from the last fiscal year. The board had previously approved funding for the women’s facility, but none was spent since it hasn’t yet opened, she added.
Any allocated funds not spent remain in the settlement account, according to Smith.
DEFT also recommended $75,000 for Sandhills Best Care’s drug treatment program, which serves the uninsured and under-insured.
“That program has been very successful,” Smith said.
The board previously approved $20,000 for that program. DEFT had recommended $10,000 at the August 2024 meeting, but Commissioner Andy Grooms moved to double the amount.
Sandhills Best Care is owned by Dr. Tammie Gainey, wife of Commissioner Jason Gainey, who recused himself during that vote.
Grooms was later accused by Commissioner Jamie Gathings of “buying” Gainey’s vote for a leadership position on the board. Gainey has a pending defamation lawsuit against Gathings for that comment.
The final request for a previously funded project was the employment education program at Richmond Community College.
“It did take them a little while to get off the ground and get their classes going and get the message out to the community about that opportunity,” said Smith, who added that several people have successfully completed the program.
Smith said not all of the initial funding was used, so it’ll stay in the account. For this fiscal year, DEFT recommended $75,000.
When Chairman Dr. Rick Watkins asked if there were any questions, Commissioner Jeff Smart moved to table the vote for all funding.
Commissioners Justin Dawkins, left, and Jeff Smart listen to presentations during the July 1 board meeting.
William R. Toler - Richmond Observer
“I have tons of questions and I know some other commissioners do, as well,” Smart said, adding that he wanted to hold off until the board could meet with DEFT leadership to get those questions answered.
The motion passed, with at least Grooms dissenting. Both Gathings and Gainey joined the July 1 meeting remotely and their votes weren’t publicly noticeable.
The agenda had also included requests for new and in-house projects.
Among the new projects was $75,000 for 21st Judicial Drug Treatment Court — which, according to the N.C. Court System has not yet been established.
According to the court system: “Adult Recovery Courts are an intermediate punishment that targets repeat offenders who have a substance use, mental health, or co-occurring disorder. Adult Treatment Court uses a team of court and community professionals to help ensure that offenders who are addicted to drugs and / or alcohol receive the intensive treatment they need to become healthy, law abiding, and productive family and community members. Adult treatment court works with non-violent, repeat offenders who are facing jail / prison time.”
There are drug treatment courts in 33 of the state’s 100 counties.
DEFT was also recommending $67,500 for Recovery Pathway, listed as “recovery housing” like the Samaritan Colony programs.
The expenditures recommended for in-house projects included:
Richmond County has had one of the highest fentanyl-involved death rates in the state for the past year, according to statistics provided by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
As of February, the rate was 51.4 per 100,000 with a total of 22 deaths over a 12-month period.
Fentanyl-positive deaths have been on the decline in Richmond County and statewide, records show.
Editor's Note (July 3, 2025) : The value recomeneded by DEFT to Sandhills Best Care was corrected from $75,0000 to $75,000.
