AUGUST 31

TARRANT COUNTY 

ADMINISTRATOR’S OFFICE

TARRANT COUNTY 

RECOVERY PLAN 

PERFORMANCE 

REPORT
Tarrant County’s 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 1

TARRANT COUNTY

2021 RECOVERY PLAN

Table of Contents

General Overview......................................................................................................................2

Executive Summary.................................................................................................................2

Uses of Funds .........................................................................................................................3

Promoting Equitable Outcomes ...............................................................................................5

Community Engagement .........................................................................................................5

Labor Practices .......................................................................................................................6

Use of Evidence ......................................................................................................................7

Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category...........................................................................7

Project Inventory.......................................................................................................................8

ARPA Programs Other Than SLFRF...........................................................................9

Emergency Rental Assistance Program .................................................................................9

Tarrant County Public Health Grant Funding ...........................................................................9
Tarrant County’s 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 2

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Executive Summary 

Greetings,

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court and County staff are committed to transparency and 

accountability in reporting on programs and projects funded with dollars received through the 

American Rescue Plan Act. Furthermore, we are committed to ensuring the voice of our 

community guides the decisions made regarding this historic investment of federal funding into 

Tarrant County.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), through the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund 

(SLFRF), has provided local governments with the necessary resources to respond to the 

negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure a strong and equitable economic 

recovery. Tarrant County is excited to partner with community members to ensure that these 

funds have the maximum impact for our residents, businesses, and local agencies.

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court, the governing body of Tarrant County, is determined 

to ensure the resources provided through the SLFRF are expended in the most effective, 

efficient, and equitable method possible. To that end, the Commissioners Court has engaged a 

consultant to conduct a COVID-19 Needs and Resources Assessment, which is discussed at 

length in the Community Engagement section of this report. The assessment, along with a 

series of public work sessions, will ensure the Commissioners Court is equipped with a 

comprehensive understanding of the existing needs and resources within our community, and 

will help guide their prioritization of projects funded by the SLFRF. While the first reporting 

period does not capture a wide range of expenses, we expect this report to become more 

substantive as our community engagement strategies inform the prioritization of funds and 

approval of projects.

Please make sure to sign up for the County Judge’s and your County Commissioner’s 

newsletter to stay up to date on opportunities to provide input on ARPA funding decisions, and 

never hesitate to contact our office with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

G.K. Maenius

County Administrator

Tarrant County
Tarrant County’s 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 3

Uses of Funds

Focus Areas, Goals, and Programmatic Activities

Informed by public feedback, and to establish a framework for utilization of the first tranche of 

SLFRF dollars, the Tarrant County Commissioners Court has approved four (4) Focus Areas

with their respective goals and funding allocation. Along with the findings from a COVID-19 

Needs and Resources Assessment, these Focus Areas will guide the development, approval, 

and implementation of programmatic activities funded by SLFRF. The four (4) Focus Areas and 

their respective goals are detailed below.

Focus Area 1: Prepare for the Future (First Tranche Allocation: $51,500,000)

Through investments in our workforce, facilities, and programs, Tarrant County will position itself 

to efficiently, effectively, and equitably serve the needs of our community.

 Goal 1: Expand & Improve Tarrant County Facilities for Optimal COVID-19 Prevention & 

Mitigation

 Goal 2: Position the County’s Workforce to Respond to the Negative Effects of COVID19

 Goal 3: Ensure Equitable Access to Essential Government Services

Focus Area 2: Improve Public Health & Wellness (First Tranche Allocation: $72,694,445)

Through investments in our public health infrastructure, Tarrant County will transform its public 

health system to equitably address the health needs of the community and ensure pandemic 

preparedness.

 Goal 1: Create a World-Class Public Health Department

 Goal 2: Improve Access to Care in the Unincorporated Area 

 Goal 3: Address Disparities in Public Health Outcomes

 Goal 4: Improve Access to Quality Behavioral Healthcare

Focus Area 3: Revitalize the Economy (First Tranche Allocation: $40,000,000)

Tarrant County will position the local economy for a strong and equitable recovery by investing 

in the training, development, and support of our current and future workforce; supporting 

disproportionately impacted industries; and identifying innovative opportunities for growth.

 Goal 1: Support Disproportionately Impacted Industries

 Goal 2: Strengthen Tarrant County Businesses

 Goal 3: Improve Access to High Quality Dependent Care

 Goal 4: Expand Job Training & Workforce Development Opportunities

 Goal 5: Facilitate Economic Recovery Through Innovation

Focus Area 4: Strengthen the Community (First Tranche Allocation: $40,000,000)

Through investments in our community, Tarrant County will ensure residents are equipped with 

the necessary resources to recover from the negative socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic.

 Goal 1: Respond to Individuals Experiencing Housing Insecurity

 Goal 2: Address Infrastructure Needs
Tarrant County’s 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 4

 Goal 3: Support Community Recovery Programs

 Goal 4: Expand Community Violence Interventions

Note: An additional tranche of funding in the amount of $204,194,446 is expected to be 

received by Tarrant County in Spring 2022. The Commissioners Court will allocate these funds 

at a future date.

Expenditure Categories

Expenditure Categories are provided by the United States Department of Treasury to streamline 

the reporting of the use of SLFRF funding. In the section below, you will find narrative 

descriptions on the uses of funds within their respective expenditure category for the first 

reporting period which covers May 10, 2021 to July 31, 2021.

Expenditure Category 1: Public Health

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court has not authorized any program under Expenditure 

Category 1; however, the Court does plan on exploring potential projects and expending funds 

under this category in conjunction with the results of the COVID-19 Needs and Resources 

Assessment and staff recommendations.

Expenditure Category 2: Negative Economic Impacts

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court has not authorized any program under Expenditure 

Category 2; however, the Court does plan on exploring potential projects and expending funds 

under this category in conjunction with the results of the COVID-19 Needs and Resources 

Assessment and staff recommendations.

Expenditure Category 3: Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court has not authorized any program under Expenditure 

Category 3; however, the Court does plan on exploring potential projects and expending funds 

under this Expenditure Category in conjunction with the results of the COVID-19 Needs and 

Resources Assessment and staff recommendations.

Expenditure Category 4: Premium Pay

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court has not authorized any program under Expenditure 

Category 4 and does not currently plan to expend funds under this category.

Expenditure Category 5: Water, Sewer, and Broadband Infrastructure

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court has not authorized any program under Expenditure 

Category 5; however, the Court does plan on exploring potential projects and expending funds 

under this category in conjunction with the results of the COVID-19 Needs and Resources 

Assessment and staff recommendations.

Expenditure Category 6 – Revenue Replacement

Based on current guidance and preliminary calculations, Tarrant County did not identify a loss of 

revenue and, therefore, will not be expending funds under Expenditure Category 6. County staff 
Tarrant County’s 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 5

will recalculate revenue loss at the dates provided in the guidance issued by the United States 

Department of Treasury.

Expenditure Category 7 – Administrative and Other

All expenses captured within the first reporting period fall within Expenditure Category 7. 

Specifically, the expenses are categorized under Expenditure Category 7.1 Administrative 

Expenses. The expenses within this category consist of the salary and fringe benefits 

associated with one (1) Grant Manager employee. This employee is dedicated to oversight and 

audit-related activities to ensure compliance with grant administration and reporting 

requirements as prescribed by statute and Treasury-issued guidance.

Promoting Equitable Outcomes 

Promoting equitable outcomes is a priority of the Tarrant County Commissioners Court and 

County staff, and all programs approved by the Commissioners Court will be designed with 

equity as a primary concern.

For the first reporting period, the Commissioners Court has not approved any projects outside of 

the one (1) staff member focused on ensuring compliance with grant administration and 

reporting requirements. However, in future reports as projects are approved, the Promoting 

Equitable Outcomes section will include substantive documentation and narrative description of 

programmatic goals, strategies, and outcomes as they relate to promoting equity in Tarrant 

County. Program Evaluation Specialists will be tasked with developing performance 

measurement structures that capture quantitative and qualitative data, which will help illustrate 

the relationship between the county’s intended equitable outcomes and actual results. 

Furthermore, the county is focused on utilizing Qualified Census Tracts (QCTs) to target 

programs and resources to traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities.

The COVID-19 Needs and Resources Assessment, discussed in further detail in the following 

section, will measure the negative economic impact of the pandemic on underrepresented 

populations. Preliminary findings from the consultant conducting the assessment show that 

Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) were disproportionately impacted 

by the pandemic and closed at nearly twice the rate of other businesses. Findings from the 

COVID-19 Needs and Resources Assessment will equip the Tarrant County Commissioners 

Court with an accurate depiction of the impact of the pandemic on these communities and how 

SLFRF funding can be deployed to advance an equitable recovery.

Community Engagement 

Commissioners Court Work Sessions

County staff facilitated a series of public work sessions during regular meetings of the 

Commissioners Court. These ongoing work sessions provide relevant information related to 

eligible uses of SLFRF funding and information from subject matter experts and key community 

stakeholders. In Work Session 3, for instance, subject matter experts from local mental health 

organizations and health providers presented an overview of pandemic-related impacts on 

various community health needs and associated strategies to respond to those impacts. For 

example, Dr. Jasmine Tiro, from UT Southwestern Medical Center, presented various
Tarrant County’s 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 6

community engagement strategies to eliminate health disparities within Tarrant County. 

Additionally, Virginia Hoft, Executive Director of Mental Health Connection, presented 

community-focused strategies to address mental health needs exacerbated by the COVID-19 

pandemic. These presentations have assisted in identifying pandemic-related community needs 

and potential programmatic strategies that can be supported with SLFRF funding.

COVID-19 Needs and Resources Assessment

Although the expenses are not captured in the reporting period for the first report, the Tarrant 

County Commissioners Court approved a contract with the management consulting firm 

Innovative Emergency Management (IEM) on Tuesday, August 3, 2021 to conduct a COVID-19 

Needs and Resources Assessment within Tarrant County. The COVID-19 Needs and 

Resources Assessment will play a pivotal role in informing the allocation of relief funds and will 

ensure that SLFRF funding is deployed in a manner which effectively, efficiently, and equitably 

meets the needs of residents in Tarrant County.

The COVID-19 Needs and Resources Assessment will consist of a GIS analysis to gauge

Tarrant County’s Social Vulnerability Index; a pre-March 2020 profile of the county to gauge the 

impact of COVID-19; and, most importantly, input and feedback from a wide variety of 

community stakeholders and the general public.

Community engagement is the foremost priority of the COVID-19 Needs Assessment, and IEM 

will employ several strategies to engage a diverse group of community leaders and

stakeholders. Strategies to be employed during the needs assessment include, but are not 

limited to, sector-specific surveys, zoom workshops with county leaders, and virtual roundtables 

with community stakeholders. Community and faith organizations, nonprofit organizations, 

private sector organizations, and community leaders will be among those engaged throughout 

this process. Additionally, the public will have multiple opportunities to provide input in the 

assessment aside from the public comment section during Commissioners Court meetings.

Needs Assessment Deliverables to Guide Decision Making

IEM will deliver an Interim Report to the Commissioners Court in September 2021. The Interim 

Report will provide information related to the initial findings of the GIS analysis, a preliminary 

needs and resources assessment, and identification of immediate needs within the community. 

In January 2022, IEM is slated to present the Final Report and Final Strategy and 

Recommendations. The Final Report will provide the results from data analyses and the needs 

assessment; outline the public outreach approach employed and findings; and provide data for 

compliance and reporting purposes. The Final Strategy and Recommendations will consist of 

programmatic recommendations which align with identified community needs and statutory 

eligible uses. Furthermore, the Final Strategy and Recommendations will create a framework to 

capture positive and measurable outcomes. 

Ongoing Communication with Intergovernmental Partners

In addition to the Commissioners Court Work Sessions and COVID-19 Needs and Resources 

Assessment, the county conducts regular calls to engage intergovernmental partners and 

facilitate cooperation, coordination, and collaboration among local entities. These calls also 

serve as a channel for information-sharing by allowing local partners to disseminate important 

announcements and information related to the pandemic. Among the calls are Tarrant County 
Tarrant County’s 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 7

Judge Glen Whitley’s weekly COVID-19 update for our local legislative delegation and County 

Administrator G.K. Maenius’ ARPA discussion with local city managers to coordinate and avoid 

duplication of efforts in the context of local projects funded by State and Local Fiscal Recovery 

Funds.

Labor Practices for Infrastructure Projects

No infrastructure projects have been approved at this point.

Use of Evidence 

Projects included within the current and future Recovery Plan Performance Reports will be 

rigorously evaluated. Tarrant County is in the process of hiring three (3) Program Evaluation 

Specialists to develop program evaluation models and employ them in the context of SLFRFfunded projects. The second iteration of this report is planned to include detailed information 

regarding program evaluation design and preliminary findings.

Utilizing the COVID-19 Needs and Resources Assessment, the Commissioners Court will be 

equipped with the information to make evidence-based decisions and funding allocations. The 

COVID-19 Needs and Resources Assessment will provide the county with a baseline to affect

real and meaningful change in the community through targeted SLFRF investments.

Additionally, project development will include the use of logic models to create linkages between 

goals, inputs, outputs, and outcomes. Logic models will assist in the development of Key 

Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each SLFRF-funded project and ensure clarity in the 

relationship between programmatic resources and outcomes.

Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category

The Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category will list the cumulative expenses within each 

Expenditure Category. For the initial report, the only expense reflected is the salary and fringe 

benefits for one (1) public sector employee. As the COVID-19 Needs and Resources

Assessment progresses, additional expenses will be incurred and reflected in future reports.

Category

Cumulative

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

1 Expenditure Category: Public Health

2 Expenditure Category: Negative Economic 

Impacts

3 Expenditure Category: Services to 

Disproportionately Impacted Communities

4 Expenditure Category: Premium Pay

5 Expenditure Category: Infrastructure

6 Expenditure Category: Revenue Replacement

7 Administrative and Other $28,013 $28,013

7.1 Administrative Expenses $28,013 $28,013
Tarrant County’s 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 8

PROJECT INVENTORY

The Project Inventory aims to provide the United States Department of Treasury and the

general public with an overview of the various SLFRF-funded projects undertaken by Tarrant 

County. In the first reporting period (May 10, 2021 to July 31, 2021), the Project Inventory will 

not be as expansive as in future reports. This is a function of the Tarrant County Commissioners 

Court hosting work sessions to solicit community input and onboarding an external consultant to 

conduct a COVID-19 Needs and Resources Assessment prior to developing and approving 

projects. This process will help ensure that SLFRF funding is expended in a manner which 

effectively, efficiently, and equitably meets the needs of our residents.

Administrative Capacity for Implementation and Oversight of Recovery Programs

Project Identification Number: F1G2B

Funding amount: $1,992,696

Project Expenditure Category: 7.1 Administrative Expenses

Focus Area: Prepare for the Future

Goal: Position the County’s Workforce to Respond to the Effects of COVID-19

Project overview

 This project aims to ensure Tarrant County has sufficient staffing levels to respond to the 

negative effects of COVID-19 and the administrative burden associated with the 

response. As of the first reporting period, the only expenses reflected under this project 

are the salary and fringe benefit expenses associated with one (1) Grant Manager 

employee in the Auditor’s Office to ensure compliance with applicable grant 

administration and reporting guidelines for SLFRF. In future reporting periods, as the 

Commissioners Court approves SLFRF-funded programs, county staff expect several 

additional positions to fall under this project. This includes the Performance Evaluation 

Specialist positions approved on August 10, 2021. This project is authorized by 

§35.6(b)(10) of the Interim Final Rule and FAQ 10.2 promulgated by the United States 

Department of Treasury.

Use of Evidence

 The goals of the project are to ensure effective, efficient, and equitable administration of 

SLFRF funding through adequate staffing. This project will employ a program evaluation 

specialist to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of the project.

 This project will be evaluated through a rigorous annual program evaluation consisting of 

a quasi-experimental research design to build a base of evidence for the intervention 

strategies utilized during this project. The program evaluation design is currently in 

development.
Tarrant County’s 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 9

ARPA PROGRAMS OTHER THAN SLFRF

In addition to the funding provided through the SLFRF, Tarrant County and local governments 

around the nation received federal funding for other programmatic activities related to the 

COVID-19 response. Below you will find information related to non-SLFRF programs which are 

funded through ARPA.

Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)

The Tarrant County Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is designed to 

assist eligible households who are unable to pay rent and/or utilities due to the COVID19 pandemic as established by section 501 of Division N of the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2021 (ERA 1) and Section 3201 of Subtitle B, Title III of the 

American Rescue Plan Act, 2021 (ERA 2). Tarrant County received $24,281,300 from 

the CAA and $26,407,662 from ARPA to assist with emergency rental assistance needs.

Assistance may be provided for unpaid, overdue rent (arrears) from April 1, 2020, and 

for future rent. Using a combination of ERA 1 and ERA 2, total months of assistance is 

not to exceed 15 months, or 18 months if necessary, for housing stability as defined by 

US Treasury. 

Programmatic Data:

Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH) Grant Funding

TCPH received several grants funded by ARPA from several pass-through agencies 

such as the CDC and DSHS. The table below details ARPA-funded public health grants 

received by Tarrant County.

APPLICATION STATUS TOTAL 

Applications in Progress 1,299

Applications Under Review 133

Ineligible Applications (Area & Income) 424

Applications Approved 466

TOTAL APPLICATIONS 2,322 

GRANT NAME COURT APPROVAL DATE AMOUNT RECEIVED 

CDC COVID-19 Health Disparities Grant June 8, 2021 $27,241,785

DSHS – COVID-19 Vaccination Capacity 

Enhancement Program April 27, 2021 $12,349,513

DSHS – CDC Public Health Crisis 

Response Workforce Grant August 17, 2021 $1,500,000

TOTAL ARPA PUBLIC HEALTH GRANT FUNDING RECEIVED $41,091,298