The Attala County Board of Supervisors has voted to join other counties and communities in nationwide lawsuit against national distributors of opioids.
Board members voted to join unanimously during Monday morning’s meeting.
The purpose of the litigation is to help city and county governments recover costs associated with battling the opioid epidemic.
Board attorney Scott Pickle said any damages recovered from the litigation would likely include help with treatment, shots, and drug abuse education.
Also during the meeting, the board also accepted bids for a bridge project on Attala Road 5120. The board voted to accept the bid of NL Carson in the amount of $437,890.15.
Following the bid opening, Jerone Garland, a local resident, spoke to the board about the problem of overcrowded jails and prisons in Mississippi. Garland proposed a catch-and-release type program for non-violent first time offenders, with the possibility of monitoring their whereabouts using new GPS technology until their court date.
Members of the board stated they didn’t have the authority to make those decisions and invited Garland to speak with local legislators for more information going forward.
Other business covered during Monday’s meeting:
- The board approved payments to Gardner Engineering for several projects.
- The board approved travel for justice court to summer convention.
- The board heard an eviction and housing dispute from a local citizen.
