Utah County approves state‑administered contract to distribute $19.2 million in emergency rental assistance

Utah County commissioners voted to approve a revenue agreement with the Utah Department of Workforce Services for administration of roughly $19,200,000 in emergency rental‑assistance funds. The contract places program administration with the state agency, which will bill the county for administrative costs tied to funds outlaid to households.

Peter Brown, the county’s COVID manager, told the commission that the state will manage intake and billing and that Community Action will perform customer service and eligibility validation under a subcontract. Brown said administrative costs are calculated as direct costs tied to disbursements and that the program allows up to 10% to be used for administration (which would be roughly $1.9 million on a $19.2 million pot). He said county staff estimate about $3.2 million of initial outlays would be needed to establish a stable administrative baseline but that the statewide contract already contains a marketing plan and that Community Action has a targeted outreach plan in the state contract.

Commissioners asked whether the county could direct a portion of the administrative cap to marketing and whether local marketing could be added beyond the state’s statewide campaign. Brown said the state will carry out a generalized statewide marketing push and charge the county based on outlays, but the county could supplement that with additional, county‑funded marketing or a separate contract if commissioners choose to invest more locally.

A motion to approve the revenue agreement passed on a voice vote recorded as 'That passes 2 0.' Commissioners asked staff to monitor marketing/outreach and administrative expenditures as the program rolls out.

Outcome: revenue agreement approved; staff will monitor outlays, administrative charges and outreach efficacy.