NACo, NLC Announce Opioid and Heroin Abuse Task Force Members
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The joint city-county panel aims to boost collaboration to tackle substance abuse challenges across the nation.
WASHINGTON — Last month, the National Association of Counties and the National League of Cities came together and announced the formation of a new joint task force focused on the nationwide substance abuse epidemic.
On Monday at NLC’s Congressional City Conference in the nation’s capital, the two organizations detailed the membership of that task force.
Made up of city and county leaders from across the country, the task force plans to take the following actions:
- Conduct at least two national dialogues where city and county elected leaders will explore the comprehensive issues related to this crisis, growing trends and proven responses;
- Develop educational opportunities for counties and cities through special forums, educational workshops, webinars and other opportunities; and
- Publish a national summary report of city-county collaboration, focusing on community prevention and overdose response, effective treatment options, public safety enforcement and supply reduction.
In their announcement remarks, NACo President Sallie Clark and NLC President Melodee Colbert-Kean both emphasized the need for counties and cities to work together to fight the substance abuse crisis that has led to a nationwide spike in drug-related deaths; 2014 alone saw more than 47,000 fatal overdoses.
“Addressing this issue is a top priority for local leaders because we see firsthand the devastating effects of prescription drug abuse and heroin use every day,” said Clark, who serves as a commissioner in El Paso County, Colorado. “Drawing on the expertise of county and city leaders, this task force will focus on achieving results on the ground and strengthening health, safety and security in our neighborhoods.”
“Our cities are at the forefront of the opioid and heroin crisis in America. It’s up to our city and county leaders to face this epidemic head on,” said Colbert-Kean, who serves as a city councilmember from Joplin, Missouri. “This joint NLC-NACo task force will work with local community groups and public safety officials to combat heroin and opioid abuse, provide families with vital resources and help make our communities safer.”
The City-County Task Force Addressing Heroin and Opioid Abuse task force members include:
NACo Members
- Co-Chair – Judge/Executive Gary Moore, Boone County, Ky.
- Commissioner Matt Bell, Weber County, Utah
- Commissioner Doug Corcoran, Ross County, Ohio
- County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper, Erie County, Pa.
- Dr. Vidya Kora, commissioner, LaPorte County, Ind.
- Commissioner Waymon Mumford, Florence County, S.C.
- Supervisor Leticia Perez, Kern County, Calif.
- County Executive Mark Poloncarz, Erie County, N.Y.
- Commissioner Greg Puckett, Mercer County, W.Va.
- County Executive Steve Schuh, Anne Arundel County, Md.
- Commissioner Judy Shiprack, Multnomah County, Ore.
- Ex-Officio: NACo President Sallie Clark, commissioner, El Paso County, Colo.
NLC Members
- Co-Chair – Mayor Mark Stodola, Little Rock, Ark.
- Councilmember Leta Mach, Greenbelt, Md.
- Mayor Nan Whaley, Dayton, Ohio
- Mayor Stephen Williams, Huntington, W.Va.
- Police Chief Nick Willard, Manchester, N.H.
- Council President Ceasar Mitchell, Atlanta, Ga.
- City Manager Lee Feldman, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
- Mayor and Councilmember Walt Allen, Corvina, Calif.
- Councilmember Joel Navarro, Tempe, Ariz.
- Executive Director Geoff Beckwith, Massachusetts Municipal Association
- Councilmember Lavonta Williams, Wichita, Kansas
- Ex-Officio: NLC President Melodee Colbert-Kean, councilmember, Joplin, Mo.
Watch the full joint announcement that came as part of NACo’s 2016 Legislative Conference on Feb. 22, where substance abuse issues featured prominently as a topic of conversation .
Quinn Libson writes for Government Executive's Route Fifty.
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