On October 25, 2021, the Commissioners Court adopted the County American Rescue Plan Act Portfolio, “Portfolio,” to strategically appropriate the anticipated $163M in federal revenue. The portfolio is slated to include projects for economic recovery. As those projects take shape, rely on possible agreements with community partners and become refined activities to meet specific outcomes that require close tracking, El Paso County's activities could be aided with guidance from The Ferguson Group, L.L.C., would help with analysis of federal and state grant funding opportunities to bolster economic recovery efforts.

The economic recovery planning and opportunity identification program has been supported by a $100,000 economic recovery grant from the National Association of Counties that allows activity through December 2022. Economic Development staff has been meeting regularly with NACo about potential economic recovery efforts and has received approval to apply the grant toward related consulting services.

NACo would allowed El Paso County to extend the term of its grant through February 2023 to continue certain grant strategy activities with The Ferguson Group. This amendment would provide the County the flexibility to continue to use NACo grant funding through February 2023.