American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Administrative Team

About the Program

Category: County Administration and Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

San Bernardino County, California (County) established an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Administrative Team (Team) for the purpose of administering the County’s $423.5 million federal ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) allocation. The ARPA Team consists of staff from multiple disciplines that include finance, data analysis, and communications, thereby providing a holistic approach to the County’s Coronavirus pandemic recovery efforts. The ARPA Team is assigned the County Administrative Office and reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for the County. The ARPA Team is tasked with identifying SLFRF investment opportunities, project tracking, budget management, and ensuring compliance with United States Department of Treasury (U.S. Treasury) guidance and reporting requirements. These responsibilities resulted in the development of several practices and procedures that weren’t previously employed by the County. Currently, the ARPA Team is responsible for overseeing a project portfolio in excess of $340 million, a figure that will increase to the full allocation amount in the coming months as additional ARPA-eligible projects are identified and scoped. To date, the County has not been subject to any significant audit findings.