Lucas County to Outsource Drug Testing

Lucas County’s Court of Common Pleas will begin outsourcing the work of its drug testing laboratory to reduce costs as departments across the county brace for funding cuts. Averhealth will begin providing the court’s drug testing services in November. The contract, if renewed for three years, will cost a total of $978,253 and save the court $133,000 annually. The court’s drug testing unit provides services for Lucas County’s courts and other agencies and courts in the region. Fees charged to outside agencies are currently subsidized, but court officials said they now want fees to cover the full cost of testing.