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Greene County auditor's office outlines grant application, tracking and deadlines
Summary
Debbie Allen of the Greene County auditor's office described how departments apply for, receive and account for grants, explained the difference between reimbursable and drawdown grants, and gave a juvenile OSCA grant example (requested $7,200; awarded $4,500).
Debbie Allen, who works in the Greene County auditor's office, told staff that grants fill funding gaps the county budget cannot cover and explained how grants are applied for, tracked and closed out.
"Basically, we wanna know why the grants are important to Greene County," Allen said, framing grants as a way for departments to expand services and projects they otherwise could not afford. She said most departments prepare applications but the auditor's office monitors awards and keeps the official files and backup documentation.
Allen described typical grant sources and provided a concrete example from the county's juvenile program: the county requested $7,200 for a music-therapy project but was awarded $4,500. "A lot of times, we don't always get what we submit," she said, illustrating that requested amounts and awards frequently differ and departments should plan accordingly.
She emphasized the two common cash-flow models the county encounters: reimbursable grants, where the county pays expenses first and then submits a reimbursement request, and drawdown grants, where the county receives an upfront lump sum and must post expenditures against that amount. "A majority of our grants are reimbursable grants," Allen said, adding that drawdown grants were more common when she first started but pose overspend risks that leave the county responsible for excess costs.
On documentation and numbering, Allen said the auditor's office retains signed award letters that list issue date, contract period (she used July 1–June 30 as an example), award amount and any federal identifiers (CFDA or assistant listing numbers, ALNs). She said the office still refers to older category numbers out of habit but is switching to ALNs.
Allen reviewed reporting windows and deadlines: the county typically uses the check date for monthly accounting, but some funders require closing by invoice date (for example, if a grant period ends Sept. 30, invoices dated Sept. 30 are counted even if checks are posted later). She also noted a specific internal deadline: "we have to submit the final billing by, by June 10" for certain grant schedules.
To track multiple grants, the auditor's office maintains a master spreadsheet with tabs for each department (assessor, elections, juvenile, sheriff) that records project numbers, revenue numbers, vendor and invoice data, check dates and award numbers. Allen said most reimbursements and compliance forms (such as a certificate of compliance used by the juvenile program) are now submitted electronically.
Allen urged departments to prepare fuller proposals when possible to improve award chances and pointed staff toward a county resource: "Skyler is the one that did that, does a majority of that," she said, naming Skyler as the county staff member who helps locate grants and assists with applications.
During questions, an attendee asked whether a reported federal moratorium had affected county funding; Allen said emergency management is the largest pending federal item for Greene County and that the county has submitted its application and is awaiting final federal approval.
No motions or formal votes were taken during the presentation. Allen closed by inviting departments to contact the auditor's office if they need help assembling expenses or backup documentation to support grant reimbursement.
