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Commissioners approve up to $250,000 professional services contract with GrantWorks to manage county grants during transition
Summary
Nueces County authorized a professional services contract, not to exceed $250,000, with GrantWorks to take over grant management for ARPA, FEMA and other awards during a transition year; commissioners said the goal is to centralize grants administration and recover administrative fees from future grants where possible.
Nueces County commissioners on Sept. 24 approved a professional services contract with GrantWorks for grant management services, with a not‑to‑exceed amount of $250,000. The court said the engagement is intended as a transitional arrangement to centralize and professionalize grant administration while county staff and auditors complete cleanups and process changes.
Court and staff described the plan as a one‑year transition: county officials and GrantWorks expect grant administration costs to decline over time as projects convert to grant budgets that include administrative fees. GrantWorks will begin with ARPA, FEMA, and the newly announced Mitigation and Resiliency (MITMOD) projects and will help prepare and pursue additional grant opportunities such as EDA and ReStore funds.
Why it matters: County leaders said centralizing grant reporting and procurement will reduce duplication, ensure timely federal reporting and create a consistent record in the county’s financial system. Commissioners asked for a short plan and timeline—50–90 days was suggested—for moving from external management back to internal staff roles where possible and for documenting which grants include administrative reimbursements to cover GrantWorks’ fees.
Next steps: GrantWorks will begin the kickoff of managed projects; county staff will work with auditors and GrantWorks to load active grants into Workday, reconcile obligations and identify administrative fee opportunities. The court approved the contract with the expectation that the firm will seek grant administrative cost recovery in future awards and that the county will revisit the arrangement and budget for next fiscal year.
