REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 18, 2026
FROM
LUTHER SNOKE, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
SUBJECT
Title
Employment Contract for American Rescue Plan Act and Community Care Expansion Preservation Programs
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Employment Contract with Maria Romero, to provide services as the Program Review Analyst, effective August 22, 2026 through December 31, 2027, with the option to extend the term for a maximum of two successive one-year periods, for an estimated annual cost of $94,761 (Salary - $64,231, Benefits - $30,530).
2. Authorize the Chief Executive Officer, County Chief Financial Officer, or Assistant County Chief Financial Officer to execute amendments to extend the term of the Employment Contract identified in Recommendation No. 1 for a maximum of two successive one-year periods, on behalf of the County, subject to County Counsel review.
3. Direct the County Chief Financial Officer to transmit any amendments to the Employment Contract, approved pursuant to Recommendation No. 2, to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
4. Authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post 2026-27 budget adjustments in the amount of $62,400, as detailed in the Financial Impact section, for reimbursement of salaries and benefits (Four votes required).
(Presenter: Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). Approval of Recommendation No. 1 will allow San Bernardino County (County) to continue utilizing Community Care Expansion (CCE) Preservation program funding from the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), as well as American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, including the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CLFRF) and Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF) from the United States Department of the Treasury (U.S. Treasury).
Any necessary budget adjustments will be presented to the Board of Supervisors in a future quarterly budget report or recommended budget to support the annual cost of these positions, should the Chief Executive Officer, County Chief Financial Officer, or Assistant County Chief Financial Officer execute an amendment to extend the term of the contract identified in Recommendation No. 2 for up to two additional one-year periods, from January 1, 2028 through December 31, 2029.
Any post-closure program activities and other administrative services performed by this contract employee after each program’s covered period concludes will be funded by earned interest revenue from the corresponding program funding source.
The following 2026-27 budget adjustments are needed for Recommendation No. 1 and sufficient appropriations are included in 2026-27 CCE and ARPA budgets for Recommendation No. 1.
|
Fund Center |
Commitment Item |
Description |
Action |
Amount |
|
1121001000 |
51001010 |
Regular Salary |
Increase |
$62,400 |
|
1121001000 |
55415011 |
Salaries and Benefits Transfers In |
Increase |
$62,400 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The County’s ARPA Team (Team) was established to administer $423.5 million and $12 million in ARPA funds received from the U.S. Treasury in 2021 for the CLFRF and 2022 for the LATCF, respectively. The Team oversees project tracking, evidence-based data evaluation, budget management, program closure and post-closure administration, and subrecipient monitoring to ensure full compliance with U.S. Treasury guidance and reporting requirements. The County Administrative Office (CAO) - Finance and Administration, through the Team, is also responsible for administering, distributing, and monitoring $13.8 million in funds awarded by the CDSS to existing licensed adult and senior care facilities under the CCE Preservation Program.
Under Recommendation No. 1, the recommended employment contract would engage Maria Romero to provide services as the Program Review Analyst, effective August 22, 2026 through December 31, 2027, with the option to extend the term for a maximum of two successive one-year periods. The primary duties of this position include, but are not limited to, financial and cost accounting, auditing, budgeting, reporting, and monitoring the use of CCE Preservation funds, as required by the CDSS. Additionally, the Program Review Analyst will also be providing assistance with the closeout of ARPA funds as their reporting deadlines occur, including, but are not limited to subrecipient monitoring, reporting, invoice processing, project data compilation, purchase order management, audit coordination, single audit preparation, and required document retention for ARPA funds.
Approval of Recommendation No. 2 will direct the Chief Executive Officer, County Chief Financial Officer, or Assistant County Chief Financial Officer to execute amendments to extend the term of the contract identified in Recommendation No. 1 for a maximum of two successive one-year periods, on behalf of the County, subject to County Counsel review.
Delegated authority to extend the term of the contract is requested due to the administrative nature of the work, alignment with federal and state reporting deadlines, and the need to maintain uninterrupted compliance capacity. The program reporting deadlines for ARPA funds are April 30, 2027, for the CLFRF and March 31, 2028, or later, for the LATCF, while the program reporting deadline for the CCE Preservation program is expected to be on or before May 1, 2029. Annual evaluations will be conducted prior to any extension, and no extension will be executed without confirmation of funding availability.
Approval of Recommendation No. 3 will direct the County Chief Financial Officer to transmit any amendment approved pursuant to Recommendations No. 2 to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Scott Runyan, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 3, 2026; Human Resources (Jose Mancilla, Employment Division Chief, 387-5560) on August 3, 2026; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Yusuf Singleton, Auditor-Controller Manager, 382-3035) on July 31, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Guy Martinez, Principal Administrative Analyst, 387-5428, and Erika Rodarte, Administrative Analyst III, 387-4919) on August 3, 2026.