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Administrative Regulation 1.23

Matthew H. Hymel, County Executive

Grant Administration

This regulation replaces Regulation No. 8.

1.0 POLICY & PROCEDURE

Grant Administration Policy and Procedure.

1.1 Application, Acceptance and Expenditure Authority

Annually Budgeted Grant Funds/Minor Budget Adjustments:

In an effort to streamline the budgeting and approval process, on-going, continuing or multi-year grants should be included as part of the annual budget process. Annually budgeted grant funds included within the Approved Budget, and not requiring a significant budget adjustment, will be reviewed by the County Administrator during the budget process and forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for approval and appropriation as part of the CAO’s Proposed Budget. Minor adjustments to these grants may be made during the Actuals & Expectations (A&E) process.

Grants that meet all of the following requirements should be included in annual departmental budget requests:

  • The grant is a recurring (not one-time) grant. (For purposes of this policy, a one-time grant is understood to be an award to be disbursed in one lump sum, or multiple payments within a single fiscal year, not anticipated to be renewed in subsequent fiscal year(s)).
  • The grant award will begin on or after the beginning of the fiscal year, is a multi-year grant continued from the previous year, or is a multi-year grant with annual payments.
  • The Department can document that the grant will be awarded or renewed in the budget year, and can document the basis for the projected grant budget (adequate documentation should consist of a letter of commitment or equivalent written confirmation from the grantor of the grant award).
  • The grant budget has not already been authorized through an “accept and expend” resolution adopted by the Board of Supervisors (to avoid double- counting of appropriations).
  • The grant does not contain significant new policy concerns or significant new County funds/matching requirements or other County commitments that the Board of Supervisors should consider formally in the context of existing and projected County resources, and consistency with Board of Supervisor priorities and objectives.

New Grant Funds/Significant Budget Adjustments

For a new grant award that requires new County funds/matching requirements or other County commitments, the County Administrator shall be notified and must review and approve the proposed allocation of grant monies before departmental submission of the grant application to the granting agency.  If the grant application involves a significant policy consideration, the application should be approved by the Board of Supervisors.

If an on-going grant requires a significant budget adjustment, or if the grantor requires formal Board of Supervisors approval to apply for, accept and/or expend funds, the County Administrator shall be notified of any such grant award and must review and approve the proposed allocation of grant monies before departmental submission to the Board of Supervisors Agenda.

For County Administrator review, requesting departments should prepare a draft board package with a cover letter addressing, at a minimum, the criteria outlined in Section 1.3 of this Policy. In coordination with the County Administrator, the Board of Supervisors shall consider formal ‘approve, accept and expend’ authorization for such awards at a regularly scheduled board meeting.

In no case shall these regulations supercede specific grantor requirements to the contrary.

1.2 Review Process – State Law

Where State law provides a specific review process and application format, State law shall prevail.

1.3 Policy Criteria and Information for Board Consideration

Before the County Administrator or Board of Supervisors may consider approval of any grant award, all departmental submissions must at a minimum address the following issues outlined below to facilitate full consideration of the award, including any required County commitments in light of existing and projected County resources, and consistency with Board of Supervisor priorities and objectives:

  • What are current year match requirements?
  • What are the future year budget commitments, including consideration of escalating/cost-of-living commitments, such as personnel costs? How will the department offset these costs, such that they do not become a general fund obligation?
  • Would the grant award create regular hire position commitments? If so, what is the department’s plan for such position(s) should grantor funding be discontinued or reduced?
  • Does the grant proposal request reimbursement for County overhead costs in the grant proposal? If not, the department should provide explanation to the County Administrator or Board of Supervisors.