Podcast 83: Opioid toolkit designed to help counties answer key questions, MAC staffer says
MAC continues to expand its free services to counties in guiding them on the best way to deploy opioid settlement dollars, a MAC staffer explained in a new Podcast 83 episode.
Dan Kelly, technical assistance specialist, joined host Stephan Currie for a review of the latest offerings from MAC’s nationally recognized opioid settlement program.
“Why don’t you talk a little bit about this new evaluation tool/toolkit you and (Director of Opioid Services Amy Dolinky) have developed?” Currie asked.
MAC continues to expand its free services to counties in guiding them on the best way to deploy opioid settlement dollars, a MAC staffer explained in a new Podcast 83 episode.
Dan Kelly, technical assistance specialist, joined host Stephan Currie for a review of the latest offerings from MAC’s nationally recognized opioid settlement program.
“Why don’t you talk a little bit about this new evaluation tool/toolkit you and (Director of Opioid Services Amy Dolinky) have developed?” Currie asked.
“One thing we’re seeing as we’re a few years into the settlement space is they’ve funded programs, they’ve done their RFPs and now they’re asking the question of: ‘Well, what went well? What didn’t? Where can we improve our investments?’” Kelly replied.
“So, we worked to come up with this evaluation toolkit to meet that need,” he continued. “What it’s meant to do is walk counties through how to do an evaluation from start to finish. It assumes that you’ve had your projects funded for a year, and now you’re looking back and you’re going through (and saying), ‘OK, how do we evaluate these projects, and how do we inform that information to make our next decision around who we’re going to fund and what we’re going to prioritize?
“Putting that together at the county level or multi-jurisdictional local level to apply for some state funds there makes sense,” said Currie. “And I know you have been putting together some statewide cohorts of some smaller meetings across the state. Tell me a little bit about those and how those have been going.”
“We broke up the state into five cohorts. Back in May, we did our first cohort in Upper Peninsula. It was a really powerful conversation, because we did it in Escanaba, and we do the first meeting in person for these, so people can get together and … now we’ve invited townships and cities, any jurisdiction that receives settlement dollars, because they can work together, right?” Kelly said.
“Just a reminder for all of our county partners, Amy and I are readily available. Our no. 1 goal is to meet your individualized needs.”
For more details, watch the full episode by clicking here or on the image above.
Contact Kelly at kelly@micounties.org or Dolinky at dolinky@micounties.org.
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Life moves fast these days, so if you couldn’t watch an episode of Podcast 83 when it rolled through your inbox recently, here are some links to help you catch up with all the important news affecting our 83 counties:
- What’s happening in legislative elections in Michigan? (Oct. 20)
- Blue Cross executive explains where your health insurance dollar goes (Oct. 13)
- How much will get done in Lansing in last few weeks of 2026? (Sept. 29)
- Legislator Spotlight: Rep. Julie Rogers (Sept. 22)
From the magazine: Who pays when Lansing makes the rules?
By Deena Bosworth/Director of Governmental Affairs
Nearly 50 years ago, Michigan voters adopted the Headlee Amendment and enshrined an important principle in our state Constitution: If the state requires local governments to provide a new activity or service, or increases an existing requirement, the state has a responsibility to pay the necessary increased costs.
The legal application of Headlee can be complicated. The principle behind it is not.
When Lansing makes the rules, it also needs to consider who will pay the bill.
That question is particularly relevant today as lawmakers consider proposals affecting court funding, dam safety and property taxes. In each case, the policy discussion may be very different, but the fiscal question is remarkably similar.
Recently, the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety approved Senate Bills 1089-91, establishing a standardized statewide process for determining indigency. The bills would also prohibit courts from imposing certain costs, fees and assessments on individuals determined to be indigent.
There is a legitimate policy discussion about how Michigan treats individuals who cannot afford to pay court costs.
But Michigan’s trial courts are substantially funded locally. Court operations, employees, security, technology and facilities must be paid for, regardless of how much revenue is collected. Yet the legislation currently provides no replacement funding source if collections decline.
MAC testified in opposition to the bills as drafted, asking lawmakers to address that fiscal reality.
Dam safety presents the issue from another direction. …
Webinar will review how to make prudent fiscal decisions
Local governments often face a dual challenge of both making hard budget decisions and then sharing those decisions out. Communities may also have to have hard conversations and decisions about the fiscal risks they face.
On Nov. 12, the Michigan Department of Treasury and MSU Extension (MSU Extension) will co-host the next Fiscally Ready Communities training opportunity, “Communicating Fiscal Risk and Prudent Decision Making.” This FREE training is designed to assist appointed and elected officials and will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern.
This session will explore ways local government can communicate about their financial position, evaluate the risks they face and establish processes to help with hard decisions, and engage the public and decision-makers throughout the process.
Click here to register for the event.
For more information about Fiscally Ready Communities, please check out the Treasury Fiscally Ready Communities webpage. This webpage includes Treasury’s 32-page Fiscally Ready Communities Best Practices document, which we encourage all local officials to review.
If you have any questions, email TreasLocalGov@michigan.gov with the subject line “Fiscally Ready.”
Staff picks
- 2026 State Elections Preview (Our American States Podcast)
- Ballot rejections soared in rural counties after USPS reduced mail service (ProPublica)
- AI has brought ‘breathing room’ for small governments, leaders say (RouteFifty)
- If your neighborhood isn’t trick-or-treatable, it’s probably not sustainable (Citizens Research Council)