Lakeside Park residents now have access to the same social workers who follow up on police calls involving substance use, mental health crises, and domestic violence across Kenton County, after the city council formalized its participation in the Kenton County Navigator Program on June 8.

Under an interlocal agreement approved at the meeting, Lakeside Park's opioid abatement settlement funds will go to the navigator program, Mayor Markgraf said during his report. The program employs four social workers who respond to police referrals involving substance use, mental health crises, domestic violence, and homelessness.

Lakeside Park joins Fort Mitchell, Crestview Hills, Crescent Springs, Villa Hills, and Taylor Mill in directing settlement money to the initiative, which launched in June 2025. Fort Mitchell approved an identical interlocal agreement at its May 4, 2026, meeting, where City Administrator Edwin King described the funds as supporting "the case worker/social worker at the Kenton County Drug Policy Office that assists City residents and police officers."

Kenton County Police Chief Spike Jones said in a July 2026 report that the county and participating cities have spent nearly $1 million over the past two years on the navigator program and related efforts. "The response has been remarkable; this is real community policing," Jones said.

The settlement funds come from a $26 billion national agreement with drug distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health, and Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen), and manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. Kentucky is set to receive more than $1 billion over two decades, with local governments getting half the state's allocation directly. The money is legally restricted to opioid abatement or mental health purposes.

What's next

The next Lakeside Park City Council meeting is August 10, 2026, at 7 p.m. at the City Building, 9 Buttermilk Pike. Residents can contact City Clerk Teresa Bruck at (859) 341-6670 for agenda information.