Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell is seeking a legal opinion to argue whether the county is subject to spending limits on the opioid settlement funds it currently receives.

Mitchell asked for an official statement on the matter. On July 8, Democratic Attorney General Chris Mays issued a statement.

Maricopa County filed a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies for contributing to the state's opioid epidemic, and won.

Mitchell said:State constitutional spending limits It applies to that money.

Arizona counties and cities will receive more than half of the settlement — $639 million to be exact.

Maricopa County alone is set to receive $218 million over the next 18 years, and the county has already begun receiving some of that funding.

The funds are specifically intended to support drug treatment and addiction prevention.

Fields Moseley, the county's communications director, said in an email that the county Board of Supervisors has sought legal advice from the county attorney about restrictions “related to the Opioid Settlement Fund.”

The county attorney's public affairs team said in an email that the spending limits, if applied, could be changed by state ballot measures.

As for how much of the settlement would be affected by the spending limits, the county attorney's office said it would depend on the circumstances.

“There are many different factors, formulas and many moving parts that come into play when spending limits are applied,” the media relations team said in an email.