2 days ago
Morgantown opioid allocation a fraction of state's other cities
MORGANTOWN — Would it surprise you to learn that the city of Charleston – a city of 48,864 people per the 2020 Census – will receive around 46 times more directly allocated opioid settlement funds than the city of Morgantown and its 30,347 residents?
Or that Beckley, with a population of 17,286, will receive about 28 times as much?
Or that Morgantown doesn't even get the largest direct allocation among Monongalia County's municipalities?
All true.
In fact, when it comes to the direct allocation of opioid settlement dollars going to local governments, the city of Morgantown is a glaring outlier among the state's major cities.
Of the approximately $980 million in opioid settlement dollars coming to West Virginia, 24% – some $235 million – will be distributed directly to local governments over the next several years based on default percentage allocations set forth in the West Virginia First Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed into law in 2023.
The percentage agreed to by Morgantown – the state's third most populous city – is the 40th highest municipal distribution percentage in the state.
Exactly how those percentages were arrived at isn't abundantly clear.
What is clear is that those tiny numbers will add up to big money.
On July 15, the West Virginia First Foundation issued its 2025 Qualified Settlement Fund Expenditure Report.
A requirement of the MOU, the annual report details how much money was distributed directly to towns, cities and counties between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, and how those dollars were spent.
The report represents the first, and likely largest, direct allocation provided directly to local governments.
Charleston received $4.2 million. Huntington is listed at $2.7 million. Beckley brought in $2.5 million.
In fact, no city of at least 17,000 residents received less than Fairmont's $624,579.
Except one.
Morgantown received way less – $90,856.10 according to the report.
Granville, with 1,355 residents, received $112,306.69.
The city of Morgantown responded to several questions. Why is its direct share so low? Did it opt out of any settlements? Did it try to negotiate?
'The City of Morgantown did not opt out of opioid settlements presented by the WVAG's office, nor did we engage in negotiations,' Communications Director Brad Riffee said, explaining the city is grateful for the funds it received.
Neither the West Virginia First Foundation nor the attorney general's office could provide clarification as to how the local distribution percentages were formulated.
'The Attorney General's Office was not involved in calculations for cities and counties. That was handled by the lead attorneys for local governments,' Kallie Cart, deputy chief of staff and director of communications for the attorney general's office noted, providing Paul Farrell Jr., Tony Majestro or Bob Fitzsimmons as suggestions.
Farrell, who served as co-lead counsel on the national opioid litigation and lead counsel on West Virginia's case, responded.
He indicated that each county was allocated an overall set number as a geographic area and it was up to the county commissions and their respective municipalities to sort out amongst themselves how much each governmental body would receive — otherwise, the default percentages listed in the MOU were assigned.
Adding up the initial allocations received by Monongalia County Commission, Granville, Morgantown, Westover and Star City, the total provided to Monongalia County in the 2024 fiscal year was $1,279.054.80.
That's about what the city of Martinsburg received on its own, at $1,224,848.41. The Berkeley County Commission received $3,688,693.32.
DIRECT ALLOCATIONS
A list of West Virginia's largest cities based on the 2020 census, including population data, as well as what each received as its initial direct allocation of opioid settlement funds according to the 2025 Qualified Settlement Fund Expenditure Report, which includes all direct allocations to local governments from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.
Charleston (pop. 48,864) – $4,204,398.49
Huntington (46,842) – $2,726,135.42
Morgantown (30,347) – $90,856.10
Parkersburg (29,738) – $1,076,824.65
Wheeling (27,052) – $746,316.55
Weirton (19,163) – $941,142.23
Martinsburg (18,777) – $1,224,848.41
Fairmont (18,416) – $624,579.26
Beckley (17,286) – $2,535,348.48
Direct government allocations to Monongalia County and its municipalities according to the 2025 Qualified Settlement Fund Expenditure Report.
Monongalia County (105,822) – $1,039,159.83
Granville (1,355) – $112,306.69
Morgantown (30,347) – $90,856
Star City (1,779) – $28,151.69
Westover (3,955) – $8,580.49
