Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Arpa Small Business topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Montgomery County proposes re-obligating $3.015 million in ARPA small-business funds to city-run grants
Summary
County and city memos propose shifting $3,015,000 of ARPA Small Business funding from a credit-enhancement program run by HOPE Credit Union to the Thriving Communities Small Business Grant Program, directing $2.515 million to direct grants and assigning Booth Management Consulting to administer applications; no commission vote is recorded in the provided transcript.
On April 21, 2026, Montgomery County staff circulated a draft resolution proposing to re-obligate $3,015,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) small-business funds originally assigned to HOPE Credit Union into the Thriving Communities Small Business Grant Program, a City of Montgomery-administered storefront revitalization effort, with Booth Management Consulting handling application administration.
County Administrator Kindell Anderson transmitted the amendment in a memorandum describing a shift from a loan-first approach toward a readiness-to-activation, grants-focused model intended to better meet local storefront needs. The draft resolution cites compliance with the U.S. Treasury Final Rule for ARPA funds and references earlier actions by the City (resolution 88-2023) and County (resolution 2023-007) that created the joint Montgomery Thrive initiative.
Frank Robinson, director of the City of Montgomery Department of Economic Development, summarized the revised allocations and program administration in a separate memo. The revision directs a total of $2.515 million to direct small-business grants (combined city and county), increasing the direct grant pool from a prior $2.2 million figure. The memos present the total program budget as $3,015,000. Robinson wrote that the distribution is $1,507,500 credited to city grants and $1,507,500 in the county portion (of which $500,000 is for administration and $1,007,500 for county grants).
Booth Management Consulting will administer the application process, eligibility review, documentation validation and payment recommendations, according to Robinson. "Booth Management Consulting will administer the application process, eligibility review, documentation validation, and payment recommendations, ensuring strong compliance oversight and audit-ready files," Robinson wrote. The City’s Economic Development department will expand its implementation role to lead outreach, marketing, field verification, site inspections and project-completion validation without additional ARPA compensation; the memo also notes that SBOSS (Gaitway) will provide general support under its existing scope.
Robinson projects interest levels that could produce more than 500 applications and expects the program to assist 50–75 Montgomery-based small businesses. He estimated, using commonly cited local multipliers of 2.5× to 3×, that the $2.515 million in direct grants combined with technical assistance could generate an overall economic impact between $6.3 million and $7.5 million.
The draft resolution instructs the County to take the necessary steps to amend existing contracts to implement the reallocation and specifies the re-obligation of $3,015,000 to grants from the current funding obligated to Hope Credit Union. The packet that accompanies the resolution describes this change as a programmatic reallocation designed to better achieve the Thrive program’s goals and objectives.
The provided transcript contains the memos and the draft resolution text but does not record a Commission motion, vote, or final approval. The resolution includes signature placeholders and an execution date line but no recorded action in the supplied segments. If the Commission approves the draft at a subsequent session, staff would proceed with contract amendments and the grant application period described in the memos.
Clarifying details drawn from the memos: the total program budget is listed as $3,015,000; direct grant dollars equal $2,515,000; Booth Management Consulting’s previously stated administrative fee is reduced from $575,000 (memo notes); expected applicants are listed as "over 500" with expected assistance for 50–75 businesses; the economic-impact estimate uses a 2.5×–3× multiplier to project $6.3M–$7.5M impact. The memos state all changes are intended to comply with the Treasury Final Rule for ARPA funds.
Next steps reported in the packet: staff seeks Commission approval of the previously submitted resolution and authority to amend contracts as necessary; the transcript does not show whether a vote occurred within the segments provided.
