GAINESVILLE – The City of Gainesville will examine the possibility of joining the queue of governing agencies seeking to recoup costs associated with the ubiquitous opioid-addiction crisis in America.
Gainesville City Manager Bryan Lackey said following Tuesday evening’s brief city council meeting that next week the council will begin the discussion and deliberation process about joining in the litigation.
As Lackey was speaking, at the Hall County Government Center on the other side of town, the Hall County Commission was voting to approve a resolution to hire the Athens law firm of Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley for the purpose of filing a civil suit in federal court on behalf of the county against an unspecified number of opioid drug manufacturers and distributors.
Lackey said, “The same group handling that litigation has approached the city about that same lawsuit. They will be with us next Thursday morning at our work session to address this with council, so council can hear more about this and decide if we want to follow suit.”
Hall County Attorney Bill Blalock had said at the county commission work session on Monday, “It is basically to try and recoup the county’s damages from dealing with what is the national opioid crisis.” Blalock described those costs as “sky high”.
Lackey agreed. “It’s a drain on our resources in terms of our fire and our police forces. I know the county has the same on their sheriff and EMS.”
Lackey added, “It certainly is a community problem and we (the City of Gainesville) feel those impacts as well.”
“We certainly support the county as they move forward, and (we) are looking forward to evaluating the situation next Thursday to see if we want to do so as well.”
