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Grant administrator reports $94,000 in admin fees this year; commission weighs higher fee policy and staffing change
Summary
Park County grant administrator said the county will realize roughly $140,000 in grant admin fees this fiscal year and proposed reducing her FTE to 0.6 to help the county budget; commissioners discussed the existing 5% admin fee policy and whether to raise it toward 10% used by peer counties.
Kristen, staff member (grants), told commissioners that grant administration fees have become a meaningful revenue source and that changes to staffing and the county’s admin fee policy could affect the general fund.
"I've brought in about 94,000 this fiscal year in grant admin fees and fees from other staffers that work on FEMA projects and CWPP, and those never I don't know where those end up. But those will end up at about a hundred and 40,000 this year for admin fees," Kristen said. She told the commission she has discussed moving to a 0.6 full‑time equivalent position, which she said would reduce the county’s payroll load.
Commissioners and staff noted the county has an existing resolution that sets a 5% admin fee on recurring grants; staff said some peer counties now charge 10%. A commissioner suggested reviewing the resolution and considering an adjustment so the county’s admin fee is in line with other jurisdictions. "They're actually charging 10% now," a commissioner said during the discussion, and staff described the 5% rate as "de minimis" in practice.
Erica, staff member (budget presenter), explained how grant admin fees are recorded: fees are credited to the revenue line for the department where the work was performed, not to Kristen’s expenditure line directly. Commissioners asked for clearer year‑to‑date reporting; Erica agreed to include the grant admin revenue projections with the packet she will resend to department heads.
Why it matters: grant admin fees can offset general‑fund payroll costs when grant work is billed correctly to the originating fund or program. A change to the commission’s admin‑fee resolution or to the grant administrator’s FTE would alter the general fund’s payroll and revenue projection calculations. No change to the resolution or the administrator’s hours was adopted at the workshop; staff will provide updated revenue projections for consideration.
