Los Lunas joins opioid remediation collaborative, transfers $1.6 million

On January 15, 2026 the Los Lunas Village Council voted unanimously to join the Opioid Remediation Collaborative of New Mexico (ORCNM), becoming the first municipality to enter the collaborative alongside several rural counties. Councilors approved transferring current and future opioid settlement funds, estimated at about $1.6 million, to the collaborative with Valencia County designated to serve as fiscal agent. Deputy Administrator Nancy Jo Gonzales was named the village’s representative to the collaborative board.

Council members said the collaborative structure will allow the village to pool its settlement dollars with neighboring counties to increase the scale and reach of prevention, treatment and recovery programs. By aggregating funds, officials expect greater purchasing power for services and the potential to coordinate programs regionally rather than funding isolated local efforts.

The decision raises governance and oversight questions that the council pressed for during the meeting. Members asked for assurances on financial oversight, transparency in how pooled dollars will be allocated, and safeguards to ensure equitable distribution among participating jurisdictions. Naming Valencia County as fiscal agent places responsibility for accounting, reporting and federal or state compliance on the county government, creating a single administrative conduit for the pooled funds.

For Los Lunas residents, the move could change how opioid-related services are delivered locally. Pooling funds may allow for expanded treatment slots, consistent recovery support across municipal boundaries, and broader prevention campaigns that reach rural and urban neighborhoods in the county. At the same time, transferring funds to a collaborative adds layers between village decision-makers and final spending choices, making clear oversight mechanisms and regular reporting critical to maintain local control and public trust.

The council also handled two other public-safety items at the meeting. Members approved resolutions related to the local DWI planning council and authorized the village to apply for Local DWI grant funding for fiscal year 2027. Those actions preserve Los Lunas’ access to state grant funding for impaired-driving prevention, enforcement and education programs next fiscal year.

What comes next is implementation and monitoring. Valencia County, as fiscal agent, will begin administrative work to receive and manage the village’s settlement dollars and Los Lunas’ representative will participate on the collaborative board. Residents and local stakeholders will want to track how the collaborative prioritizes projects, the timing of fund allocations, and what measurable results follow for prevention, treatment and recovery services in Los Lunas and across Valencia County.