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Board approves state pass-through funds despite reservations from two supervisors
Summary
Supervisors approved a state-directed pass-through grant to an external organization over objections from two board members who said the county's legal and oversight risks were not sufficiently resolved.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted 5-2 to approve a set of state-directed pass-through funds that county staff said must flow through the county to a community organization, despite objections from Supervisors Vega and Weir.
Supervisor Vega said she had tried to confirm whether the funding appropriation had been finalized in Richmond and that questions remained about oversight and potential liability. "When you read the staff report and when you read the majority of the documents attached to this item, it all comes from Richmond... I am very cautious about the organization that is being, you know, tasked with handling $2,000,000 because of their past history with mishandling public dollars," Vega said.
Elijah Johnson, deputy county executive, told the board that the appropriation referenced in the item came from a prior year and that county staff had worked to clarify responsibilities in the memorandum of understanding. "This is actually from last year's appropriation... the appropriation that was put in for this year did not pass, but this is previous appropriations that we've been working with with the state department of social services to get the MOU done so that we can move those funds forward," Johnson said.
The county attorney's office told the board it had negotiated wording to make clear the county is a conduit and not the primary manager of the funds. County counsel said the state Department of Social Services (VDSS) is responsible for auditing the use of the funds and that the organization receiving the funds must reimburse the county if the state requires repayment.
Supervisor Weir said he remained concerned about language in the draft agreement that appeared to require the county to "enter into agreement with CASA for the funds paid by VDSS," and asked whether the county could be left on the hook for clawbacks. The county attorney said the county is not on the hook and that audit and reimbursement responsibilities reside with the state and the recipient.
The motion to approve passed 5-2; Supervisors Vega and Weir voted no.
Ending: The board approved the pass-through with language clarifications and staff told the board they would follow up with more detailed documentation. Supervisors who opposed the motion said they would prefer additional board review before taking action on state-directed pass-through agreements in the future.
