American Rescue Plan Act

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Recovery Plan Performance Report

Leon County, Florida

2021 Annual Report

Reporting Period: 

May 21, 2021 (Date of Award) – July 31,2021
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Leon County, Florida

Table of Contents 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................1

SECTION I: RECOVERY PLAN ..........................................................................................................4

SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY .................................................................................................10

Public Health (EC 1).................................................................................................................................10

Project #1: Leon County Health Department – Vaccine Distribution and Response..........................10

Project #2: Neighborhood Medical Center.........................................................................................11

Project #3: Bond Community Health Center ......................................................................................12

Project #4: Vaccine Hesitancy Engagement and Promotion...............................................................13

Project #5: Mental Health Services.....................................................................................................15

Project #6: County Continuity of Operations Support........................................................................16

Negative Economic Impacts (EC 2) .........................................................................................................17

Project #7: SmartSteps Program.........................................................................................................17

Project #8: Local Chambers of Commerce..........................................................................................18

Project #9: Entrepreneurship Support................................................................................................19

Project #10: Food Insecurity ...............................................................................................................20

Project #11: Legal Services..................................................................................................................21

Project #12: Nonprofit Grant Program ...............................................................................................22

Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities (EC 3)...............................................................23

Project #13: Homelessness and Housing Support ..............................................................................23

Water, Sewer, and Broadband Infrastructure (EC 5)..............................................................................25

Project #14: Septic-to-Sewer Projects (3)...........................................................................................25

Revenue Replacement (EC 6)..................................................................................................................26

Project #15: Leon County Revenues...................................................................................................26

Additional Expenditure Categories in Leon County’s Recovery Plan (EC 7) ...........................................28

Project #16: ERA Program Support.....................................................................................................28

Project #17: Reserve/Replenishment Account...................................................................................29

SECTION III: TABLE OF EXPENSES BY EXPENDITURE CATEGORY.......................................................30
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) into law, providing $1.9 

trillion in economic relief and recovery assistance to individuals, households, businesses, public health 

and healthcare agencies, governmental entities, and others in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Building upon previous legislation enacted by Congress in 2020 and 2021 to provide economic relief and 

recovery assistance related to the pandemic, the ARPA provided additional direct economic support for 

individuals and families, hard-hit industries and vulnerable populations, and state and local governments.

This included rent, mortgage, and utility assistance for low-income households; food and nutrition 

assistance; additional resources to address the COVID-19 public health emergency such as funding for 

testing and vaccines; grants for childcare assistance, additional federal unemployment assistance, a third 

round of direct stimulus payments; additional targeted assistance for small businesses impacted by the 

pandemic; and more. In addition, the ARPA established a $360 billion Coronavirus State and Local 

Recovery Fund (the “CSLFR Fund”) to help state and local governments offset increased expenditures, 

recover lost revenues, and mitigate the negative economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through the CSLFR Fund, Congress has provided state, local, and tribal governments with significant 

resources to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and its economic impacts through four 

specific categories of eligible uses. As provided in the ARPA, these funds may be used:

• To respond to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19, or its negative economic 

impacts, including assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits, or aid to impacted 

industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality;

• To respond to workers performing essential work during the COVID-19 public health emergency 

by providing premium pay to eligible workers;

• For the provision of government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue due to the 

COVID–19 public health emergency relative to revenues collected in the most recent full fiscal 

year prior to the emergency; and

• To make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure.

Of note, the ARPA is also the first COVID-19 relief legislation authorized by Congress that intends and 

allows for governmental entities to recover significant revenue losses resulting from the economic effects 

of the pandemic. On May 10, 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury released preliminary guidance 

related to the CSLFR Fund, including an Interim Final Rule for the implementation of the funds and a fact 

sheet and a “frequently asked questions” document. This guidance indicates that “Within the categories 

of eligible uses, recipients have broad flexibility to decide how best to use this funding to meet the needs 

of their communities.” Based upon the funding formula provided in the ARPA for CSLFR Funds, Leon 

County’s allocation totals $57,024,862, to be distributed in two equal tranches in FY 2021 and FY 2022.

The U.S. Treasury disbursed the first tranche of this funding to the County in late May 2021.

At the May 25, 2021 Budget Workshop, the Leon County Board of County Commissioners approved an 

expenditure plan for the County’s allocation of CSLFR Funds under the ARPA (the “Recovery Plan”). Leon 

County’s Recovery Plan is designed to address community recovery needs in the areas of public health, 

human services, and small business support; provide one-time funds to support major wastewater 

infrastructure improvements; and mitigate significant revenue impacts incurred by the County as a result 

of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the plan allocates funding to:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

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• Support and expand local vaccination efforts, particularly to high-risk and underserved 

populations; 

• Support the local business community, including funds to extend a micro-loan program for 

minority-owned and women-owned small businesses which the County initiated in 2020 using 

federal CARES Act funds;

• Provide services to address the unique impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the community’s 

low-income population including food and nutrition assistance, homelessness diversion and 

prevention services, housing services, legal services for households facing eviction or foreclosure, 

and more;

• Complete three major wastewater projects, which will further support local economic recovery 

through strong employment opportunities for local workers;

• Mitigate a significant reduction in Leon County and Blueprint revenues over the next two fiscal 

years which occurred as a result of the pandemic, enabling the County to maintain a balanced 

budget while avoiding tax or fee increases, capital project reductions, or workforce reductions;

• And more.

Leon County’s Recovery Plan complements, and in many cases extends, the assistance provided in 

calendar year 2020 through its “Leon CARES” expenditure plan. In 2020, Leon County received a separate 

allocation of $51.2 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds through the federal CARES Act; through a variety 

of partnerships and direct assistance programs, the County quickly distributed this funding to address 

critical public health needs, housing and utility assistance, small business assistance, food insecurity, 

childcare assistance, support for mental health and homelessness services, and more. The quick and 

successful implementation of the Leon CARES plan positioned the County to receive an additional $11 

million allocation from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, which allowed the County to provide 

assistance to thousands more individuals, families, and local businesses in the community. In total, Leon

County successfully leveraged $62.2 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Funds to support a broad range 

of community needs through the Leon CARES plan. The following graphic displays the high-level and 

critical impact of all $138 million in federal funding:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

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To inform the development of its CSLFR Fund Recovery Plan, Leon County coordinated extensively with 

local human service providers, public health entities, the local business community, and the City of 

Tallahassee to identify community recovery needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This input from 

community partners has been incorporated throughout the Recovery Plan. The plan also leverages

partnerships with many of these community stakeholders to ensure the quick and efficient distribution of 

funds and to promote equitable outcomes throughout the community. In addition, Leon County is 

partnering with the City of Tallahassee to jointly fund several of the programs and initiatives included in 

the Recovery Plan on a countywide basis. This allows both entities to leverage a significant portion of their 

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Relief Fund allocations to address food insecurity, small business needs, and 

homelessness support as part of a highly coordinated, communitywide plan.

Immediately upon approval of the Recovery Plan by the Board of County Commissioners at the May 25 

Budget Workshop, Leon County began implementing the plan to quickly distribute this assistance 

throughout the community. From May 21, 2021 (the date of initial funding award) through July 31, 2021, 

$43.8 million has been obligated and the County is working to expend these funds toward the specific 

outcome measures identified in the Recovery Plan. Of the remaining $13.2 million, $11.8 million is 

projected to be expended toward FY 2023 revenue replacement and $1.4 million remains available in 

reserves which may be reallocated to other expenditure categories in the plan based on future needs or 

for any potential changes in federal guidance that may allow for new uses without impacting existing 

categories.

This Leon County Recovery Plan Performance Report provides a detailed overview of Leon County’s 

Recovery Plan and provides a summary of the County’s progress to date toward its implementation. This 

report, which is submitted to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and is available to the general public 

for review, includes information on the specific initiatives that Leon County is undertaking with its 

allocation of CSLFR Funds, a summary of expenditures made under the plan through the initial reporting 

period (July 31, 2021), and a detailed discussion of the strategies that Leon County has employed to 

engage citizens and community partners, promote equitable outcomes, and facilitate the community’s 

economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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SECTION I: RECOVERY PLAN 

This section of Leon County’s 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report describes the County’s intended 

and actual uses of Coronavirus Local Recovery Funds under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This 

section discusses how the County’s approach supports a strong and equitable recovery from the COVID19 pandemic and economic downturn, as well as strategies employed to maximize programmatic impact 

and effective, efficient, and equitable outcomes. Where appropriate, this section also includes 

information on the County’s use of other federal recovery funds including other programs under the 

American Rescue Plan Act, such as Emergency Rental Assistance, to provide broader context on the 

County’s overall approach to pandemic recovery efforts.

In accordance with reporting guidance published by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the remainder 

of this document includes references to the following specific expenditure categories (abbreviated 

throughout this report as “EC 1,” “EC 2,” etc.) allowed under the ARPA:

• Public Health (EC 1)

• Negative Economic Impacts (EC 2)

• Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities (EC 3)

• Premium Pay (EC 4)

• Water, Sewer, and Broadband Infrastructure (EC 5)

• Revenue Replacement (EC 6)

A summary of Leon County’s efforts to promote each of these expenditure categories is provided below. 

More detailed information regarding each specific project within the County’s Recovery Plan including 

project descriptions, funding amounts, timelines, project partners, etc. is provided in Section II, “Project 

Inventory.”

Of note, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has issued compliance and reporting guidance related to 

this Recovery Plan and Performance Report, which asks CSLFR Fund recipients (such as Leon County) to 

report whether these funds are being used for “evidence-based interventions.” As defined in the reporting 

guidance, evidence-based interventions involve conducting research studies to determine the potential 

outcomes of proposed recovery programs. Generally, Leon County’s approach to developing its Recovery 

Plan was to (i) engage a broad variety of community partner organizations to assess ongoing recovery 

needs; (ii) share information with these stakeholder groups regarding the assistance made available 

through the CARES Act, the ARPA, and other federal COVID-19 relief legislation; (iii) identify remaining 

unmet community recovery needs that could be addressed through the County’s allocation of CSLFR 

Funds; and (iv) develop and implement a Recovery Plan as quickly as possible to address the immediate 

need for assistance to those hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic in our community. As such, and 

because conducting experimental research studies would delay the distribution of assistance, Leon 

County’s Recovery Plan does not utilize evidence-based interventions as defined in the Treasury reporting 

guidance. 

Public Health (EC 1):

The Recovery Plan allocates approximately $3.8 million in funding to further expand and strengthen the 

County’s response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Specifically, this category dedicates funding 

for the Leon County Health Department to support communitywide vaccination distribution, acquisition 

of personal protective equipment (PPE), COVID-19 infection prevention and control, and minor facility 
SECTION I: RECOVERY PLAN 

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enhancements. This category also dedicates funding to support facility enhancements at two local 

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which provide primary health care services to underserved 

populations, to meet CDC guidelines for reducing the spread of COVID-19 and mitigating the risk of 

infection. In addition, this category supports an extensive public information and outreach campaign to 

reduce vaccine hesitancy and increase vaccination rates, particularly among underserved communities. 

Finally, this category includes funding to ensure Leon County Government’s continuity of operations 

through the acquisition and deployment of laptops, configured with secure virtual desktop capability, to 

support remote work as needed throughout the public health emergency.

Negative Economic Impacts (EC 2):

This expenditure category within the Recovery Plan dedicates funding to support several programs and 

initiatives directly supporting the local business community. This includes direct assistance to minorityand women-owned businesses through an extension of the SmartSteps Revolving Micro-Lending Program, 

which the County established in 2020 using its CARES Act funding allocation in partnership with Florida 

A&M University Credit Union; support for the three local Chambers of Commerce in Leon County to 

expand programming and resources for local businesses; and funding for local entrepreneur support 

entities to help startup companies in the post-pandemic economy.

This expenditure category dedicates funding to provide targeted assistance, in partnership with a variety 

of local human service partner agencies, for Leon County residents most impacted by the COVID-19 

pandemic and who are lagging the overall economic recovery. In developing its Recovery Plan, Leon 

County extensively engaged local nonprofit and human services partners to share information regarding 

the assistance made available through the ARPA and earlier COVID-19 relief legislation as well as to 

identify any remaining gaps in human service needs throughout the community. Based upon the feedback 

collected from local partner organizations, this expenditure category provides funding, leveraging a 

proportionate contribution from the City of Tallahassee’s CSLFR Fund allocation, to address food 

insecurity, expand access to legal services to prevent evictions and foreclosures, and to support a grant 

program for local nonprofit organizations that provide human services and programs for Leon County 

citizens impacted by COVID-19.

Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities (EC 3):

This expenditure category allocates funding to significantly enhance the homelessness support 

infrastructure in Leon County. As with other expenditure categories in the Recovery Plan, the County 

extensively engaged its community partners in the area of homelessness services to develop specific 

strategies to meet the needs of this population. Based on the feedback collected from these partners, the 

Recovery Plan provides funding to the Big Bend Continuum of Care (BBCoC) to expand initiatives and 

programs in order to alleviate the increased demand for homelessness support services resulting from

the COVID-19 pandemic including community outreach, permanent supportive housing, homelessness 

diversion services, and recruitment of established organizations to expand homeless prevention services 

locally. The BBCoC is the agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 

(HUD) as the regional planning and oversight organization for Leon, Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty, 

Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla counties. This assistance complements the extensive resources for 

homelessness assistance provided separately in the ARPA. In addition, this category provides additional 

funding to four emergency homeless shelters in Leon County to address unanticipated expenses related 

to COVID-19 and that are not covered by FEMA reimbursement or other federal and state funding sources. 
SECTION I: RECOVERY PLAN 

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Premium Pay (EC 4):

Leon County’s Recovery Plan does not allocate funding in this category.

Water, Sewer, and Broadband Infrastructure (EC 5):

This category within the Recovery Plan allocates funding to support the completion of three major 

wastewater infrastructure projects in Leon County. As discussed earlier in this report, the ARPA provides 

that the County’s CSLFR Fund allocation can be used to make necessary investments specifically in water, 

sewer, and broadband infrastructure. In Leon County, the City of Tallahassee and Talquin Electric 

Cooperative operate drinking water utilities; the County does not own or maintain any drinking water 

infrastructure. Also, the County’s role in wastewater infrastructure is limited, as the City and Talquin also 

operate sanitary sewer utility infrastructure. All water and wastewater utility services throughout Leon 

County are provided by the City of Tallahassee, Talquin Electric Cooperative, or another provider via 

exclusive franchise. However, as part of its commitment to protect the community’s natural resources, 

Leon County has aggressively and successfully pursued state grant funds over the past several years for 

wastewater infrastructure improvements leading to the removal of hundreds of septic tanks within the 

Wakulla Springs Primary Springs Protection Zone.

In the area of broadband infrastructure, there are eight residential broadband internet service providers 

operating in Leon County. Counties and cities in Florida are limited by state law in their ability to expand 

broadband access to their citizens; however, while Leon County does not own or maintain any broadband 

infrastructure, the County has led several initiatives to support internet access both before and during the 

pandemic including providing free internet access through Leon County Libraries, extensively engaging 

citizens to share information about low-cost internet options, promoting discounted services that are 

made available through the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, and more. 

Given the factors discussed above, Leon County’s use of CSLFR funds to support infrastructure initiatives 

is limited to sewer infrastructure. In partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection 

(FDEP), the County has established a nine-year Water Quality and Springs Protection Infrastructure 

Improvement Plan to enhance the region’s water quality through a series of septic-to-sewer conversion 

projects. In recent years, the County has leveraged the commitment of over $60 million in state and local 

funds with plans to upgrade or eliminate a total of 1,610 septic tanks in the Wakulla Springs Primary 

Springs Protection Zone. Most recently, the County has been awarded state funding through FDEP’s 

Springs Restoration Grant Program to begin the implementation of the Northeast Lake Munson Sewer 

System, Belair/Annawood Sewer System, and Woodville Sewer Projects. The total state and local funding 

committed for these projects across the nine-year project plan is as follows (these totals reflect the 

County’s cost share; FDEP provides an equal matching amount toward each project):

• Northeast Lake Munson Sewer System: $5.5 million

• Belair/Annawood Sewer System: $3.5 million

• Woodville Sewer (4 Phases): $18.7 million

Due to current construction pricing trends which have substantially increased over the past year, the 

budget estimates detailed in the initial grant applications for each of these projects are projected to be 

insufficient to complete construction. Given the temporary, one-time nature of the CSLFR funding 

provided under the ARPA, this funding represents a unique opportunity to fulfill the County’s 

commitments to these projects despite the recent increase in construction costs. This strategy will enable 
SECTION I: RECOVERY PLAN 

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the County to not only complete these projects and provide high-quality wastewater infrastructure for 

the community, but also to support local economic recovery by facilitating strong employment 

opportunities for local workers.

In order to promote strong labor standards, each of the wastewater infrastructure projects included in 

the Recovery Plan will be completed in accordance with Section 2-400 of the Code of Laws of Leon County, 

Florida (Leon County’s “local preference ordinance”) and the County’s purchasing policy, which provide 

for local preference in bidding for construction services. Under the County’s local preference ordinance

and purchasing policy, businesses with a home office in Leon County or its three surrounding counties 

(Gadsden, Wakulla, or Jefferson County) may receive a local preference of five percent of the bid price. 

Businesses which operate in Leon County or one of these surrounding counties but whose home office is 

located elsewhere may receive a three percent local preference. In addition, the County’s purchasing 

policy requires affirmative efforts to ensure participation by minority-owned and women-owned 

businesses. Finally, the County will require contractors to agree to a commitment to the principles and 

practices of equal opportunity in employment and to comply with the letter and spirit of federal, state, 

and local laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, 

sex, age, handicap, marital status, and political affiliation or belief. For federally funded projects, in 

addition to the above, contractors will be required to agree to comply with Executive Order 11246 and 

the specific affirmative action obligations contained therein.

Revenue Replacement (EC 6):

According to the U.S. Treasury’s Interim Final Rule for the implementation of CSLFR Funds, it is critical that 

local governments utilize this funding to mitigate drastic budget reductions and thereby avoid 

constraining the economic recovery:

During the period following the 2007-2009 recession, State and local government budget pressures 

led to fiscal austerity that was a significant drag on the overall economic recovery.

...the American Rescue Plan Act allows recipients facing budget shortfalls to use payments from the 

Fiscal Recovery Funds to avoid cuts to government services and thus enable State, local and Tribal 

governments to continue to provide valuable services and ensure that fiscal austerity measures do 

not hamper the broader economic recovery.

Although Leon County distributed $62 million of assistance in 2020 funded by the CARES Act, as discussed 

earlier in this report, that legislation did not allow for funding to be used to offset the significant revenue 

losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic experienced by state and local governments. Conversely, one of 

the principal objectives of the ARPA is to provide resources to ensure that local governments can continue 

delivering critical services to their communities by replacing local revenue losses with federal funding. 

Without the ability to mitigate COVID-19-related revenue losses, many local governments including Leon 

County would be forced to consider implementing austerity measures to balance their FY 2022 budgets 

such as operating reductions, hiring freezes, capital project deferrals/eliminations, additional use of fund 

balances, and possible tax or fee increases. As such, this expenditure category dedicates funding to 

mitigate revenue reductions incurred by Leon County, which will enable the County to address immediate 

budgetary needs as well as to ensure its continued long-term financial stability.
SECTION I: RECOVERY PLAN 

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Additional Expenditure Categories in Leon County’s Recovery Plan:

The Recovery Plan provides funding to continue supporting the implementation of Leon County’s

Emergency Rental Assistance Program (“ERA Program”), including contracted services for an 

extraordinary volume of application reviews as well as application assistance and technical support. Leon 

County has aggressively implemented its ERA program, which consists of separate funding allocations 

made under the December 2020 Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (the 

“ERA 1” program) and the ARPA (the “ERA 2” program). As of the publication of this report, Leon County 

has approved rent and utility assistance for approximately 3,000 Leon County households, totaling more 

than $13 million in awards. Based on the most recent ERA program reports published by the U.S. Treasury, 

Leon County ranks #1 among all Florida local governments and in the top 10 nationally in the proportion 

of its ERA funding allocation distributed to date. 

While federal program guidelines allow up to 10% of the County’s allocation of ERA 1 funding and 15% of 

its ERA 2 funding to be used for administrative purposes, this maximum administrative allowance will not 

provide the funding needed to complete reviews of the large volume of applications received for the 

program while providing the enhanced level of support necessary to ensure that our most vulnerable 

residents receive the application assistance and technical support they need. Accordingly, this 

expenditure category within the Recovery Plan provides funding to ensure that adequate resources are 

available to complete the administration of the County’s ERA Program. In addition, the State of Florida is 

currently developing its plan to administer a Homeowner Assistance Program, also funded under the 

ARPA, to provide mortgage and utility relief to residential property owners. However, it is unclear at this 

time whether the State will administer this program or if funding will be passed through to local 

governments to implement it. Any unused portion of the funding in this expenditure category will be 

available to provide support as needed for a Homeowner Assistance Program in the event that the State 

of Florida passes this funding through to local governments.

Finally, this category establishes a reserve fund that may be allocated to any of the other Recovery Plan 

expenditure categories discussed above based on future needs, or for any potential changes in federal 

guidance that may allow for new uses without impacting existing categories. The ARPA provides that 

CSLFR funds may be used to cover costs obligated by the County through December 31, 2024, and 

obligated funds will remain available to complete projects through December 31, 2026.
SECTION I: RECOVERY PLAN 

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Recovery Plan – Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund

Leon County, Florida

Summary of Planned Expenditures

 

Expenditure Category Funding 

Public Health Response (EC 1)

Leon County Health Department $534,702

Neighborhood Medical Center $500,000

Bond Community Health Center $300,000

Vaccine Hesitancy Engagement and Promotion $331,200

Mental Health Services $110,400

County Continuity of Operations Support $1,981,000

Category Subtotal: $3,757,302

Negative Economic Impacts (EC 2)

SmartSteps Program $1,104,000

Local Chambers of Commerce $165,600

Entrepreneurship Support $165,600

Food Insecurity $767,280

Legal Services $447,120

Nonprofit Grant Program $1,843,680

Category Subtotal: $4,493,280

Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities (EC 3)

Homelessness and Housing Support $3,462,144

Category Subtotal: $3,462,144

Water, Sewer, and Broadband Infrastructure (EC 5)

Northeast Lake Munson Sewer $2,900,000

Belair/Annawood Sewer $1,444,000

Woodville Sewer $8,256,000

Category Subtotal: $12,600,000

Revenue Replacement (EC 6)

Leon County Revenues $20,628,467

Blueprint Revenues (County Share) $4,923,866

Category Subtotal: $25,552,333

Administrative and Other (EC 7)

ERA Program Support $1,500,000

Reserves/Replenishment Account $5,659,803

Category Subtotal: $7,159,803

Total Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Allocation: $57,024,862
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Leon County, Florida

SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

This section provides an overview of each of the projects undertaken by the County. Each project 

description includes the name of the project, a brief description of the project, the funding amount, the 

expenditure category that the project falls under, as well as the intended outcomes of the project. 

Public Health (EC 1) 

Project #1: Leon County Health Department – Vaccine Distribution and Response 

Funding Amount: $534,702

Project Expenditure Category: EC 1.1, COVID-19 Vaccination

Project Overview: This category provides funding to support the Leon County Health Department (LCHD) 

in ensuring broad vaccine distribution across the community, including expanding vaccine distribution 

access for high-risk and underserved populations. The LCHD will utilize these funds to supplement state 

and federal funding allocations and support COVID-19 immunization expenses not otherwise supported 

by other funding sources. This allocation will also fund 8 additional staff positions at LCHD to provide 

oversight in ensuring the safe, equitable administration of vaccines and to expand the immunization 

capacity of the LCHD clinics. The LCHD also partners, plans, and implements vaccination activities with 

critical organizations across the community, including churches, businesses, and non-traditional providers 

that serve underserved populations. In addition, the LCHD will lead community engagement strategies to 

expand messaging to promote COVID-19 vaccinations, increase vaccine confidence, and provide details 

on how and where citizens can receive a vaccine. 

This funding supports the hiring of additional staff and facility improvements at the LCHD clinics to support 

COVID-19 infection prevention and control efforts. These COVID-19 Infection Control Specialists will lead 

the expansion of infection control efforts including training staff on implementation of infection control 

practices, collecting data and monitoring infection control practices across departments, and investigating 

and reporting incidents of infection. This category also supports the procurement of supplies required for 

infection control and facility improvements at LCHD clinics to accommodate increased staff as a result of 

the pandemic.

Key Performance Indicators: 

Output Measures:

• Number of vaccine outreach events conducted

• Number of Leon County citizens vaccinated

Outcome Measures:

• Reduced COVID-19 positivity rate

• Reduced COVID-19 hospitalization and death rates

• Reduced utilization of hospital resources for COVID-19 patients
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

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Project #2: Neighborhood Medical Center 

Funding Amount: $500,000

Project Expenditure Category: EC 1.7, Capital Investments or Physical Plant Changes to Public Facilities 

that respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency

Project Overview: This category dedicates funding to support Neighborhood Medical Center (NMC), a local 

Federally Qualified Health Center, in renovating a former bank building into a medical facility to provide 

general healthcare services for low-income residents. In 2019, NMC purchased the 8,310 square-foot 

facility located at 2613 South Monroe Street in Tallahassee. The reconfigured building will open in January 

2022 and include a waiting area, exam rooms, dental operatories, offices, records rooms, a lab, and 

patient services. Along with COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, NMC will also offer other healthcare 

services for underserved populations at the reconfigured site. The total project cost is approximately $1.3 

million and NMC is committing $800,000 from federal grants, bank loans, local donations, and capital 

reserves. NMC is requesting an allocation of $500,000 to support the remaining construction and 

equipment costs not covered by other funding sources.

Key Performance Indicators: 

Output Measures:

• Number of patient visits at Neighborhood Medical Center

• Number and type of services provided to Leon County citizens (e.g., primary healthcare, 

mental/behavioral healthcare, dental)

Outcome Measures:

• Enhanced access to health care services for underserved populations in Leon County

• Reduced COVID-19 positivity rate

• Reduced COVID-19 hospitalization and death rates

• Reduced utilization of hospital resources for COVID-19 patients

 
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

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Project #3: Bond Community Health Center 

Funding Amount: $300,000

Project Expenditure Category: EC 1.7, Capital Investments or Physical Plant Changes to Public Facilities 

that respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency

Project Overview: This category dedicates funding to Bond Community Health Center (Bond), a local 

Federally Qualified Health Center, to support renovations at its current facilities to meet CDC guidelines 

for reducing the spread of COVID-19 and mitigating the risk of infection. In addition, this funding will

enable Bond to make physical improvements to its mobile units which are utilized for COVID-19 testing 

and vaccination events throughout the community.

Key Performance Indicators: 

Output Measures:

• Number of patient visits at Bond Community Health Center

• Number and type of services provided to Leon County citizens (e.g., primary healthcare, 

mental/behavioral healthcare, dental)

Outcome Measures:

• Enhanced access to health care services for underserved populations in Leon County

• Reduced COVID-19 positivity rate

• Reduced COVID-19 hospitalization and death rates

• Reduced utilization of hospital resources for COVID-19 patients
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

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Project #4: Vaccine Hesitancy Engagement and Promotion 

Funding Amount: $331,200

Project Expenditure Category: EC 1.8, Other COVID-19 Public Health Expenses (including Communications, 

Enforcement, Isolation/Quarantine)

Project Overview: This project provides funding for targeted outreach efforts, particularly to underserved 

communities, to promote vaccine information, reduce vaccine hesitancy, and increase vaccinations. Since

the COVID-19 pandemic began and throughout the vaccine rollout, Leon County Government has been 

the lead coordinator of emergency communications alongside the Florida Department of Health. Working 

with a variety of community partners, Leon County established a COVID-19 Vaccination Community 

Education and Engagement Task Force to better mobilize churches, community-based organizations, 

federally qualified health centers, and other stakeholders across the county to work collaboratively 

toward the goals of reducing vaccine hesitancy in minority communities and ensuring access to 

vaccination information.

As part of the County's ongoing vaccination efforts, a hesitancy survey was conducted in December 2020 

and again in April 2021 to compare and contrast citizens’ responses. As a result of coordinated public 

information efforts as well as the effects of seeing friends and family vaccinated, hesitancy among those 

with concerns dropped by half. In short, nearly 80 percent of respondents said they would be open to 

receiving a vaccine. However, now that everyone 12 years and older is eligible for a vaccine at many 

different locations throughout our community, only 57 percent of the County's total vaccine-eligible 

population has received at least one dose. While the vaccination rate has declined due to additional age 

groups becoming eligible, vaccine supply and availability continues to increase. Through Countycoordinated in-field research, the majority of those surveyed state they would rather “wait and see,” 

pointing to potential vaccine reactions or a general lack of urgency. 

The Recovery Plan allocates $331,200 to fund vaccine public information and outreach efforts until 

December 30, 2021. The City of Tallahassee is also allocating $268,800 toward this initiative from its CSLFR 

Fund allocation, for a total project cost of $600,000. These efforts would include continued partnership 

with the Leon County Coronavirus Vaccination Community Education and Engagement Task Force, 

promoting vaccination efforts, rollout, and other public health information, targeted outreach to 

communities of color through the Task Force, and more.

Key Performance Indicators: 

Output Measures:

Indicator: Data (through July 31, 2021):

• Number of households reached in direct door-to-door 

outreach 26,767

• Number of attendees engaged at health expos and other 

vaccination information events 8,100
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 14 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

Outcome Measures:

• Increase in the number of Leon County citizens vaccinated

• Reduced COVID-19 positivity rate

• Reduced COVID-19 hospitalization and death rates

• Reduced utilization of hospital resources for COVID-19 patients
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 15 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

Project #5: Mental Health Services 

Funding Amount: $110,400

Project Expenditure Category: EC 1.10, Mental Health Services

Project Overview: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, mental health services remain a critical need in 

our community. Local human service partners have experienced an increased demand for these services 

over the past year in assisting clients who have been impacted by COVID-19 in various ways including job 

loss, reduced income, and increased feelings of anxiety, depression, and isolation. According to 2-1-1 Big 

Bend, suicide calls have increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to previous years. 

Through the Leon CARES expenditure plan in 2020, the County allocated over $185,000 to support 2-1-1 

Big Bend in enhancing access to mental health resources in the community. To address the increase in call 

volume of individuals that are experiencing mental health crisis, this funding supported the hiring of two 

additional positions by 2-1-1 Big Bend to triage mental health calls to appropriate free or low-cost mental 

health services in Leon County. 

This category dedicates additional funding to 2-1-1 Big Bend to retain these Mental Health Triage 

Specialists through FY 2022. The City of Tallahassee is also allocating $89,600 toward this initiative from 

its CSLFR Fund allocation, for a total project cost of $200,000. The 2-1-1 Big Bend Mental Health Triage 

Specialists would continue to be responsible for providing support to 2-1-1’s call takers by referring callers 

experiencing mental health crisis immediately to local mental health resources including scheduling 

counseling appointments, dispatching a Mobile Response Team, or connecting telehealth services for 

mental health.

Key Performance Indicators: 

Output Measures:

• Number of mental health calls to 2-1-1 Big Bend referred to area service providers

Outcome Measures:

• Decrease in the number of Baker Act filings per capita

• Decrease in the number of Risk Protection Orders filed per capita

• Decrease in the rate of arrests of individuals with mental/behavioral health issues
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 16 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

Project #6: County Continuity of Operations Support 

Funding Amount: $1,981,000

Project Expenditure Category: EC 1.8, Other COVID-19 Public Health Expenses (including Communications, 

Enforcement, Isolation/Quarantine)

Project Overview: In 2020, many Leon County Government departments and divisions transitioned to a 

remote working environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which required quick deployment of laptop 

computers to support County personnel working from home. Leon County’s Office of Information and

Technology (OIT) worked to address this need for laptops throughout the organization by using 

departments’ pooled laptops and using other laptops assigned to the County’s libraries. As a lesson 

learned during this process, OIT found that the County’s current virtual network environment did not have 

adequate capacity for the widespread remote connection needs of the organization, particularly from 

unknown devices when County personnel worked from home using personal devices, such as their own 

desktop computers or tablets. As a result, this increased the vulnerability of the network due to the 

number of unknown, potentially infected devices connecting directly to the County’s network. Given this, 

OIT identified a need to transition all remote connections to a secured virtual desktop solution, which 

requires the use of devices setup and regularly maintained by OIT to facilitate improved security within 

the network. 

Although County work areas have generally returned to normal in-office operations, County employees 

may still need to quarantine if exposed to a person with a confirmed COVID-19 infection, but may continue 

to work from home if not exhibiting symptoms. With the recent emergence of the coronavirus delta 

variant, there is a continued need to ensure that the County can continue to deliver critical services to the 

public if employees must work remotely. The availability of CSLFR funding presents an opportunity for the 

County to bolster its remote working capabilities by acquiring and proactively deploying additional 

laptops, configured with secure virtual desktop capability, for use throughout the public health 

emergency. Accordingly, this expenditure category allocates funding to support the acquisition of 

approximately 850 laptops, which would include 650 laptops to be deployed across County work areas 

and an additional 200 laptops to be deployed across the County’s Constitutional and Judicial Offices. In 

addition, these new laptops and existing laptops owned by the County will be enhanced with the new 

secured virtual desktop solution to provide additional cybersecurity across these devices.

Key Performance Indicators:

Output Measures:

• Number of laptops deployed to County work areas

• Number of laptops deployed to Constitutional and Judicial Offices

Outcome Measures:

• Enhanced ability to support remote working capabilities

 
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 17 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

Negative Economic Impacts (EC 2) 

Project #7: SmartSteps Program 

Funding Amount: $1,104,000

Project Expenditure Category: EC 2.9, Small Business Economic Assistance (General)

Project Overview: In 2020 meeting, Leon County partnered with FAMU Federal Credit Union (FAMU FCU) 

to establish the SmartSteps Program, a micro-loan program for Black-, minority-, and women-owned 

businesses. This program was supported by $1 million in funding from Leon County’s Coronavirus Relief 

Fund allocation under the CARES Act, supplemented with a $250,000 match from FAMU FCU. The 

SmartSteps Program launched in February 2021 to enhance and diversify the existing capital pool in the 

market for minority businesses. Since that time, approximately $883,0000 in loans have been 

administered through the program. It is anticipated that FAMU FCU will administer the remaining funds 

by the early summer of 2021. 

This funding category allocates an additional $1.1 million to extend the SmartSteps Program and further 

support the needs of growing MWSBE businesses in Leon County. The City of Tallahassee is also allocating 

$896,000 toward this initiative from its CSLFR Fund allocation, for a total project cost of $2 million. The 

program will be administered in partnership with the City of Tallahassee through its Neighborhood First 

Initiative, through which the City has engaged community members in the Greater Bond, Griffin Heights, 

Frenchtown, and Providence neighborhoods to collaboratively plan community improvements in these 

areas such as housing improvement programs, economic development, and placemaking. During these 

planning efforts, each of these four neighborhood groups has requested access to micro-loans as an 

economic development goal within its plans. 

Key Performance Indicators: 

Output Measures:

• Number of minority- and woman-owned businesses supported through the SmartSteps 

program

• Dollar value of awards made to minority- and woman-owned local businesses

Outcome Measures:

• Number of jobs created or retained

• Increase in the number of minority- and woman-owned businesses operating in Leon County
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 18 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

Project #8: Local Chambers of Commerce 

Funding Amount: $165,600

Project Expenditure Category: EC 2.13, Other Economic Support 

Project Overview: Three local chambers of commerce operate within Leon County in support of local 

businesses (Big Bend Minority Chamber, Capital City Chamber, and Greater Tallahassee Chamber). Each 

of the local chambers was fundamental in providing technical assistance to local businesses applying for 

the Leon CARES Small Business Assistance Program in 2020. The County also contracted with the local 

chambers using Leon CARES funding to provide training to help local small businesses implement new 

technologies and business practices as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, assess needs, and coordinate 

resources. 

This expenditure category allocates $165,600 in additional funding to the three local chambers to provide 

continued assistance to local businesses by further expanding their programming aimed to helping

businesses mitigate challenges and capitalize on new opportunities for job creation and growth. The City 

of Tallahassee is also allocating $134,400 toward this initiative from its CSLFR Fund allocation, for a total 

project cost of $300,000. Specifically, the local chambers will provide targeted, essential support to local 

businesses over the next two years which will include:

• Business Outreach and Education: Local programming centered on bridging the talent, education, 

and workforce gap, job creation and economic development, and establishing sustainable 

business climates.

• Talent Pipeline Enhancement: Continued implementation of “Talent Hub,” a platform established 

by the Greater Tallahassee Chamber in 2020 to assist the local workforce with exploring careers, 

building skills, and finding jobs. The Talent Hub platform seeks to support efforts in bridging the 

local talent gap by centralizing education and employment resources to explore careers, build 

skills, and find employment opportunities. Going forward, the Talent Hub will feature resources 

focused on enhancing partnerships, connecting with more career seekers and employers, and 

expanding career exploration programs.

• Targeted Assistance to Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses: New training opportunities for 

minority- and women-owned businesses on a variety of topics including networking, marketing, 

cash flow management, technology improvement, contract negotiations, and capacity building.

Key Performance Indicators: 

Output Measures:

• Number of businesses attending training and support programs

Outcome Measures:

• County-level employment growth

• Increase in county-level labor participation rate

• Decrease in county-level unemployment rate
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 19 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

Project #9: Entrepreneurship Support 

Funding Amount: $165,600

Project Expenditure Category: EC 2.13, Other Economic Support 

Project Overview: Small businesses nationwide have experienced the significant economic impacts of the 

COVID-19 pandemic and have been disproportionally affected due to revenue losses from forced closures 

and unanticipated expenses related to keeping employees and customers safe. While these impacts have 

particularly affected minority- and woman-owned small businesses and those within certain industry 

sectors, entrepreneurs and startup companies have also faced significant challenges due to COVID-19. A 

2020 National Bureau of Economic Research survey found that the financial health of nearly half of startup 

companies had been negatively or very negatively impacted by the pandemic. Locally, entrepreneur 

support entities such as North Florida Innovation Labs and Domi Station have experienced dramatic 

challenges related to their capacity and ability to host and instruct entrepreneurs. The risk of COVID-19 

resulted in increased costs associated with digitizing trainings, acquiring PPE, and implementing other 

safety measures at their facilities. Meanwhile, the need and demand for entrepreneur training and 

incubator resources have only increased over the past year as individuals previously employed in sectors 

disrupted by COVID-19 have begun to explore new employment ventures and existing businesses and 

enterprises have sought to better adapt to the changing economic landscape over the past year. 

Through the Leon CARES Small Business Assistance Program in 2020, the County distributed $18.1 million 

in financial assistance to support the restart, re-launch, and re-opening of over 930 small businesses in 

the community, with over $7.8 million awarded to local businesses that are minority-owned and womanowned. Like small businesses, entrepreneurs and startup companies are critical to the economic vitality 

of any community, providing contributions in additional employment opportunities for residents and 

industry diversification within the local business community. As such, this expenditure category allocates

$165,600 to address local entrepreneurs’ and startup companies’ demonstrated need for assistance while 

also further promoting resilience among the local business community as a whole. The City of Tallahassee 

is also allocating $134,400 toward this initiative from its CSLFR Fund allocation, for a total project cost of 

$300,000. This funding will be distributed over the next two years to the local entrepreneur support 

entities, North Florida Innovation Labs and Domi Station, for enhanced training, employment connection 

opportunities, and resources to support talent retention, revenue growth, and innovation among the local 

entrepreneurial community. With the dedication of these funds, the local entrepreneur support entities 

seek to train up to 75 new entrepreneurs, support the hiring of up to 20 new employees by local startup 

companies, and assist local startups in achieving $1 million in revenue growth in the next two years.

Key Performance Indicators: 

Output Measures:

• Number of local entrepreneurs attending training/education programs

Outcome Measures:

• Number of new business startups

• Number of new employees hired by local startup companies
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 20 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

Project #10: Food Insecurity 

Funding Amount: $767,280

Project Expenditure Category: EC 2.1, Household Assistance: Food Programs

Project Overview: Due to the ongoing negative financial impacts experienced by households in the 

community as a result of COVID-19, food insecurity continues to be a concern in Leon County. Second 

Harvest of the Big Bend (Second Harvest) is a non-profit food bank that accepts and distributes donations 

of food through a network of 135 local food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, senior community 

centers, and children’s feeding programs. In 2020, Leon County provided more than $4 million to Second 

Harvest through the Leon CARES plan to address local food insecurity, which facilitated the distribution of 

over 3.4 million meals across the community. Leon CARES funding supported Second Harvest in 

purchasing food supplies, hiring program staff, and purchasing refrigerator trucks and other equipment 

to distribute meals to the community’s most vulnerable populations. 

The CSLFR Recovery Plan allocates $767,280 million in additional funding to the Second Harvest for the 

purchase of approximately 722,000 meals. The City of Tallahassee is also allocating $622,720 toward this 

initiative from its CSLFR Fund allocation, for a total project cost of $1.39 million. These meals will be 

distributed to Leon County families that continue to be impacted by COVID-19, including low-income 

children participating in virtual school and summer camps. Additionally, this funding supports Second 

Harvest in purchasing and operating four temperature-controlled grocery lockers that will be established 

in the community to increase access to meals with flexible schedules for food pickup at nearby locations.

Key Performance Indicators: 

Output Measures:

• Number of citizens/families served

• Number of meals distributed

Outcome Measures:

• Reduction in the percentage of Leon County households reporting food scarcity
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 21 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

Project #11: Legal Services 

Funding Amount: $447,120

Project Expenditure Category: EC 2.5, Household Assistance: Eviction Prevention

Project Overview: Over the past year, the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in 

a significant increase in households facing the risk of eviction or foreclosure due to an inability to pay their 

rent or mortgage. This expenditure category dedicates funding to Legal Services of North Florida (LSNF) 

to expand legal assistance resources for low-income households facing eviction/foreclosure in an effort 

to reduce their vulnerability to homelessness. The City of Tallahassee is also allocating $362,880 toward 

this initiative from its CSLFR Fund allocation, for a total project cost of $810,000

With this assistance, LSNF will hire a full-time attorney, paralegal, community outreach-partner relations 

specialist, and law clerk for two years to expand its capacity to address the current and continuing need 

for eviction defense in our community. Eviction defense services involve providing support to individuals 

in accessing rental assistance, foreclosure defense, stimulus checks, and unemployment compensation, 

among other resources. In addition, LSNF will hire case managers and intake specialists for two years to 

assist pro bono lawyers with the continued and growing need for eviction and foreclosure defense.

Key Performance Indicators: 

Output Measures:

• Number of Leon County citizens/households provided with legal assistance for evictions or 

foreclosures

Outcome Measures:

• Reduction in evictions and foreclosures
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 22 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

Project #12: Nonprofit Grant Program 

Funding Amount: $1,843,680

Project Expenditure Category: EC 2.10, Aid to Nonprofit Organizations

Project Overview: Over the past several months, Leon County has worked closely with the City of 

Tallahassee, United Partners for Human Services (UPHS), the Council on Culture and Arts (COCA), the 

Institute for Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence (INIE), and the United Way of the Big Bend (UWBB) to 

address the significant demand for services that nonprofits and human service organizations have 

experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2021, UPHS, COCA, and INIE conducted a survey of 

local nonprofit organizations which found that 72% of these organizations experienced an increase in 

demand for their services since the onset of COVID-19. The organizations represented sectors such as 

education, healthcare, legal services, and workforce development. 

This expenditure category provides funding to support a Nonprofit Services Grant Program, which will 

provide funding to local nonprofit organizations to continue to meet the immediate demand that they are 

experiencing for essential human service needs such as after school/summer enrichment programs, 

computer technology, and crisis management. The City of Tallahassee is also allocating $1,496,320 toward 

this initiative from its CSLFR Fund allocation, for a total project cost of $3.34 million. As recommended by 

UPHS, COCA, and INIE, this program will provide up to $20,000 in one-time assistance to support local 

nonprofit agencies that are providing or will provide human services/programming to Leon County 

residents impacted by COVID-19. The funding level is consistent with the Leon CARES Human Services 

Grant established in 2020, which awarded funding to 121 local nonprofit organizations. Under this grant 

program, applicants must be a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the State of Florida to be eligible, 

and priority for funding consideration through this program would be given to organizations that did not 

receive previous assistance through the Local Economic Assistance for Nonprofits (LEAN) Program, which 

was also established in 2020 to provide emergency financial relief to nonprofits; the Leon CARES Human 

Services Grant Program; or the Leon CARES Nonprofit Assistance Grant Program. The County and City will 

contract with UPHS, INIE, COCA, and UWBB to provide technical support to agencies seeking to apply for 

this grant program, to include hosting webinars on program guidelines and eligibility requirements and 

assisting local nonprofits with submitting applications and the required documentation. In addition, these 

agencies will support other local nonprofits in the community with securing other federal and state 

funding support available through the ARPA and other federal COVID-19 relief legislation over the next 

year.

Key Performance Indicators: 

Output Measures:

• Number of local nonprofits assisted with grant funding

• Dollar value of grant funds distributed to local nonprofits

Outcome Measures:

• Number of local nonprofit jobs created/retained
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 23 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities (EC 3) 

Project #13: Homelessness and Housing Support 

Funding Amount: $3,462,144

Project Expenditure Category: EC 3.11, Housing Support: Services for Unhoused Persons

Project Overview: Leon County has four emergency shelters designated to assist the homeless population: 

the Kearney Center for single individuals experiencing homelessness; Hope Community, operated by Big 

Bend Homeless Coalition for families; Capital City Youth Services (CCYS) operates a youth shelter; and 

Refuge House operates a shelter for domestic violence victims. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, homeless 

sheltering generally consisted of “congregate” facilities where homeless individuals were housed at a 

single location, often with several individuals living in the same room. COVID-19, however, required 

homeless service providers to fundamentally adjust this model – public health guidelines related to 

physical distancing required providers to shift to “non-congregate” sheltering arrangements which involve 

placing homeless individuals in hotels, motels, or other facilities that allow for greater physical distancing 

to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. This approach to sheltering, which requires significantly more 

square footage and often the use of privately-owned lodging facilities, is necessarily much more expensive 

than the traditional congregate sheltering model. 

Compounding this challenge is the significant increase in demand for homeless sheltering due to the 

economic effects of the pandemic. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, all four emergency 

homeless shelters have experienced a significant increase in clients at their congregate or non-congregate 

facilities. In order to meet CDC guidelines for social distancing, each provider has had to reduce the 

number of clients in their congregate shelters and develop waiting lists for shelter services due to the 

increased demand. As a result, there has been a larger number of unsheltered homeless individuals 

utilizing vehicles and homeless encampments. 

The availability of CSLFR funding presents an opportunity to significantly enhance the community’s 

homelessness support infrastructure through several targeted strategies. The Recovery Plan allocates 

$3.4 million to the Big Bend Continuum of Care (BBCoC) to expand a variety of initiatives and programs in 

order to alleviate the increased demand for homelessness support services including community 

outreach, permanent supportive housing, homelessness diversion services, and recruitment of 

established organizations to expand homeless prevention services locally. This category also provides 

additional funding to the four emergency shelters to address unanticipated expenses related to COVID19 and that are not covered by FEMA reimbursement or other federal and state funding sources. The City 

of Tallahassee is also allocating $2,809,856 toward this initiative from its CSLFR Fund allocation, for a total 

project cost of $6.27 million.
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 24 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

Key Performance Indicators: 

Output Measures:

• Number of homeless individuals assisted through BBCoC outreach events

• Number of individuals assisted through homelessness diversion and prevention activities 

(e.g., one-time financial assistance with rent, utilities, bus/train fare, car repairs, hotel costs; 

housing mediation; or relocation support such as security deposits and utility deposits to 

prevent the use of emergency shelters

• Number of individuals assisted through permanent supportive housing efforts (e.g., 

rent/utility stipends and associated case management)

• Number of local homelessness service nonprofits assisted with training and technical support

Outcome Measures:

• Reduction in the number of individuals and families in Leon County experiencing 

homelessness
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 25 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

Water, Sewer, and Broadband Infrastructure (EC 5) 

Project #14: Septic-to-Sewer Projects (3) 

Funding Amount: $12,600,000

Project Expenditure Category: EC 5.2, Clean Water: Centralized wastewater collection and conveyance

Project Overview: This expenditure category provides funding support to complete three critical septicto-sewer conversion projects in the following neighborhoods/areas:

• Northeast Lake Munson

• Belair/Annawood

• Woodville

Leon County has invested millions of dollars in recent years within the Wakulla Springs Primary Springs 

Protection Zone to help improve water quality by transitioning hundreds of septic tanks to central sewer;

in partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the County has established a 

nine-year Water Quality and Springs Protection Infrastructure Improvement Plan to enhance the region’s 

water quality through a series of septic-to-sewer conversion projects. 

Due to current construction pricing trends which have substantially increased over the past year, the 

budget estimates detailed in the initial grant applications for each of these projects will be insufficient to 

complete construction. Given the temporary, one-time nature of the CSLFR funding provided under the 

ARPA, this funding represents a unique opportunity to fulfill the County’s commitments to these projects 

despite the recent increase in construction costs. This strategy will not only enable the County to complete 

these projects and provide high-quality wastewater infrastructure for the community but will also support 

local economic recovery by facilitating strong employment opportunities for local workers.

Key Performance Indicators: 

Output Measures:

• Number of septic tanks removed/replaced

Outcome Measures:

• Reduction in nutrient discharge
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 26 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

Revenue Replacement (EC 6) 

Project #15: Leon County Revenues 

Funding Amount: $25,552,333

Project Expenditure Category: EC 6.1, Provision of Government Services

Project Overview: Similar to other local governments nationwide, Leon County experienced significant 

revenue losses resulting from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. As discussed in Section I 

of this report, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has emphasized in its Interim Final Rule for CSLFR funds 

that it is critical that local governments utilize this funding to mitigate drastic budget reductions and 

thereby avoid constraining the broader economic recovery. The Treasury has provided a specific 

methodology to calculate reduction in revenue; based on this methodology, Leon County’s total projected 

revenue loss is $25.5 million. This includes all County revenues (state shared sales taxes, gas taxes, tourist 

taxes, property taxes, etc.) as well as Leon County’s contribution of local option sales tax revenues to the 

Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency (“Blueprint”). Blueprint is a joint agency created by Leon County and 

the City of Tallahassee which plans and executes infrastructure projects funded by a one-cent local option 

sales tax. Blueprint’s Board of Directors is comprised of the Leon County and City of Tallahassee 

Commissions sitting as one body and provides direction to the agency, which operates under the guidance 

of both the Leon County Administrator and the Tallahassee City Manager.

As summarized in the table below, Leon County Government incurred approximately $11.3 million in 

revenue losses during FY 2020 based on Treasury’s CSLFR guidance, which will be recovered in the 

County’s FY 2022 budget. This funding will be used to not only address the County’s immediate budgetary 

needs, but also to ensure the continued long-term financial stability of the County by:

• Investing $2.8 million to fund general county services such as library services, human services, 

veteran services, constitutional services, EMS, fire services, stormwater, and solid waste; assist in 

reducing the use of fund balance; and lift a hiring freeze which the County implemented in 2020 

to address the immediate fiscal impacts of the pandemic;

• Investing $3.6 million to ensure funding is available for the County’s capital maintenance program;

• Investing $2.2 million to address the significant impact to Division of Tourism revenues (i.e., 

transient lodging taxes) through enhanced marketing/promotion to support rebuilding the local 

tourism economy; to renovate an historic County-owned Amtrak station and convert it into a new 

Leon County Welcome Center; to address significant industry-wide construction inflation cost 

increases; and to support on-going development of the County’s Apalachee Regional Park as a 

world-class recreational amenity; and

• Utilizing $2.7 million to address transportation and flood relief projects that were delayed or not 

funded due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 27 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

FY 2022 Budget

(Projected Revenue 

Loss in FY 2020)

FY 2023 Budget

(Projected Revenue 

Loss in FY 2021)

Total

Leon County Government $11,280,165 $9,348,302 $20,628,467

Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency 

(Leon County Share) $2,494,488 $2,429,378 $4,923,866

Total Revenue Loss Mitigation $13,774,653 $11,777,680 $25,522,333

Also as reflected above, the County’s revenue losses for FY 2021 are projected to total approximately $9.3 

million based on Treasury’s methodology. The County will recover these losses in its FY 2023 budget. 

Finally, losses in local option infrastructure sales tax revenues (i.e., Blueprint revenues) in FY 2020 and FY 

2021 are projected to total approximately $4.9 million. Leon County and the City of Tallahassee will share 

in mitigating these revenue losses. 55.2% of the reduction in Blueprint revenues will be addressed through 

the County’s CSLFR allocation and 44.8% through the City’s allocation, which is proportionate to the 

amount of CSLFR funding the County and City are each receiving.

Key Performance Indicators: N/A
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 28 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

Additional Expenditure Categories in Leon County’s Recovery Plan (EC 7) 

Project #16: ERA Program Support 

Funding Amount: $1,500,000

Project Expenditure Category: EC 7.1, Administrative Expenses

Project Overview: This expenditure category allocates $1.5 million to continue supporting the 

implementation of Leon County’s Emergency Rental Assistance (“ERA”) program. As discussed in Section 

I of this report, Leon County has aggressively implemented its ERA program, which consists of separate 

funding allocations made under the December 2020 Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental 

Appropriations Act (the “ERA 1” program) and the ARPA (the “ERA 2” program). As of the publication of 

this report, Leon County has approved rent and utility assistance for approximately 3,000 Leon County 

households, totaling more than $13 million in awards. Based on the most recent ERA program reports 

published by the U.S. Treasury, Leon County ranks #1 among all Florida local governments and in the top 

10 nationally in the proportion of its ERA funding allocation distributed to date. 

While federal program guidelines allow up to 10% of the County’s allocation of ERA 1 funding and 15% of 

its ERA 2 funding to be used for administrative purposes, this maximum administrative allowance will not 

provide the funding needed to complete reviews of the large volume of applications received for the 

program while providing the enhanced level of support necessary to ensure that our most vulnerable 

residents receive the application assistance and technical support they need. Accordingly, this 

expenditure category within the Recovery Plan provides funding to ensure that adequate resources are 

available to complete the administration of the County’s ERA Program. Funding allocated in this category 

is used to pay for temporary employees, increased contractual services for application review and call 

center support, and personnel expenses (such as overtime costs) associated with reassigning Leon County 

employees from their normal job duties to assist with implementation of the ERA program.

In addition, the State of Florida is currently developing its plan to administer a Homeowner Assistance 

Program, also funded under the ARPA, to provide mortgage and utility relief to residential property 

owners. However, it is unclear at this time whether the State will administer this program or if funding 

will be passed through to local governments to implement it. Any unused portion of the funding in this 

expenditure category will be available to provide support as needed for a Homeowner Assistance Program 

in the event that the State of Florida passes this funding through to local governments.

Key Performance Indicators: 

Output Measures:

• Number of households assisted with rent, utility, and/or internet payments

Outcome Measures:

• Reduction in eviction filings
SECTION II: PROJECT INVENTORY 

2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 29 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

Project #17: Reserve/Replenishment Account 

Funding Amount: $5,659,803

Project Expenditure Category: N/A

Project Overview: This category establishes a funding reserve that may be allocated to any of the other 

categories in the Recovery Plan based on future needs or for any potential changes in federal guidance 

that may allow for new uses without impacting existing categories. The ARPA provides that funds may be 

used to cover costs obligated by the grantee through December 31, 2024, and obligated funds will remain 

available to complete projects through December 31, 2026. Accordingly, this expenditure category 

authorizes the County Administrator to expend funds according to the Recovery Plan as approved by the 

Board. 

Key Performance Indicators: N/A
2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report Page 30 of 30

Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

Leon County, Florida

SECTION III: TABLE OF EXPENSES BY EXPENDITURE CATEGORY 

Category

Cumulative

Expenditures to 

Date ($)

Amount Spent 

Since Last 

Recovery Plan

1 Expenditure Category: Public Health

1.1 COVID-19 Vaccination $0 $0

1.7

Capital Investments or Physical Plant Changes to 

Public Facilities that Respond to the COVID-19 

Public Health Emergency

$0 $0

1.8

Other COVID-19 Public Health Expenses (including 

Communications, Enforcement, 

Isolation/Quarantine)

$407,892 $407,892

1.10 Mental Health Services $0 $0

2 Expenditure Category: Negative Economic Impacts

2.1 Household Assistance: Food Programs $0 $0

2.5 Household Assistance: Eviction Prevention $0 $0

2.9 Small Business Economic Assistance (General) $0 $0

2.10 Aid to Nonprofit Organizations $0 $0

2.13 Other Economic Support $0 $0

3 Expenditure Category: Services to 

Disproportionately Impacted Communities

3.11 Housing Support: Services for Unhoused persons $0 $0

5 Expenditure Category: Infrastructure

5.2 Clean Water: Centralized Wastewater Collection 

and Conveyance

$0 $0

6 Expenditure Category: Revenue Replacement

6.1 Provision of Government Services $13,774,653* $13,774,653

7 Administrative and Other

7.1 Administrative Expenses $36,194 $36,194

Total Recovery Plan Expenditures: $14,218,739 $14,218,739

* This represents obligations related to the funding of general government services and capital projects