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Pine County approves restructured grant administration position, splits funding between general and HHS funds
Summary
The board approved a restructured position to focus on grants administration in the auditor/treasurer’s office, paid 50/50 from the general fund and the health and human services (HHS) fund, and clarified the role will support departments but is not a stand-alone grant writer.
Pine County commissioners approved a restructured position intended to help manage grants and special program reporting across county departments. County Auditor-Treasurer Kelly Schroeder described the vacancy, previously an account technician in Health and Human Services accounting, as restructured and regraded to focus on grants administration. The board approved the reclassification and hire during the regular meeting.
Kelly Schroeder said the position will be split equally between the general fund and the health and human services (HHS) fund (50/50) so that levy dollars follow the change; that shift will reduce the HHS levy allocation compared with prior years. Schroeder told the board the new hire will manage roughly 40 grants and special programs across departments and will coordinate reporting so departmental records align with the county’s financial system; the position is meant to ensure grant accounting and program reporting match in the event of an audit.
Board members asked whether the role would include grant-seeking responsibilities. Schroeder and other staff clarified the position is not a grant writer; rather, it will partner with departments that know program details to help construct budgets, ensure allowable indirect costs are included, and identify grants that fit departmental programs. Commissioners approved the restructured position by unanimous vote.
Why it matters: The county expects better alignment between departmental program reporting and central finance systems, improved audit readiness, and potentially higher recovered indirect costs by integrating grant budgeting earlier in the grant development process. County staff said capturing allowable indirect costs in grant budgets could help offset the position’s cost.
