BATH - Steuben County is expected to join the mounting
legal battle against opioid addiction when the county Legislature meets for a
rare 3 p.m. regular session Monday (Nov. 27) at the County Office Building, 3
E. Pulteney Square. County legislators will consider a resolution to join a
class action lawsuit seeking payment of damages from any and all persons or
entities responsible for creating the opioid addiction epidemic. Some 20 other
counties in New York have engaged legal counsel with the intention of
curtailing opioid addiction and recovering the soaring local costs in law
enforcement, mental health and social services caused by substance abuse.
County lawmakers also will look for legal standing in the lawsuit expected to
be filed by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. The action is similar to
a lawsuit filed in 1998 against four major tobacco growers in the U.S. and
resulted in a decline in production, compensation and funding for campaigns
designed to curtail tobacco use. Steuben County has been active in fighting
substance abuse for years, with several agencies and county personnel working
to help victims overcome addictions. Most recently, the county hosted three
substance abuse forums in Bath, Hornell and Corning to inform the public about the
devastating impact of opioids and other addictive substances. The successful
forums also included information on ways to help victims and their loved ones
through local agencies. Other agenda items include:
* Authorizing a public hearing on the eight-year review of
Agricultural District No. 10
* Designating the Steuben County Conference and Visitors’
Bureau as the Official Tourism Promotion Agency for the County of Steuben.
* Adopting the Table of Equalization Rates for Fiscal Year
2018.
* Filing the Report of County Equalization for the Year
2018.
* Authorizing distribution of mortgage tax receipt.
