Dauphin County reforms Gaming Grant Program with new oversight measures

Dauphin County is reforming its Gaming Grant Program to improve accountability, transparency, and strategic funding priorities for municipalities and nonprofits. 

Several reforms to the Local Share Municipal (“Gaming”) Grant Program have been instituted, Dauphin County announced. Reforms are applicable to recent awardees and upcoming applicants and are aimed at improving accountability and oversight of public funds, streamlining the administrative processes, setting clear strategic priorities, and improving public transparency, according to a release. 

Beginning with the 160 grant awards approved by the board of commissioners earlier this year, new contract language will empower the county to revoke grants if projects do not materialize, ensure the appropriate withholding of assets purchased with grant funds, and ultimately claw back funds, if necessary, per the release. 

Grant recipients will now also be required to certify that funds were used appropriately; submit progress reports every six months detailing the project status, anticipated timing of future milestones, and how funds have been spent to date; provide close-out reports; and disclose any conflicts of interest between or among the grantee and its contractors prior to receiving payments. 

Dauphin County is also overhauling the application and selection process for the next round of grant applications. Grant awards will be limited to only municipalities and non-profit organizations, and county commissioners are setting specific strategic targets for the allocation of available funds across several categories, including Health & Human Services: 20%; Public Safety & Emergency Services: 35%; Facilities, Infrastructure, & Transportation: 25%; and Other Projects in the Public Interest: 20%. 

The Gaming Advisory Board is using an updated scoring matrix when evaluating applicants. Twenty points will be allotted to the following categories: Public Need & Community Benefit, and 15 to Project Scope, Budget, & Cost Effectiveness. Ten points will be allotted to Connection to Hollywood Casino; Leveraging of Other Funds; Location Project Outcomes & Long-Term Impact; Project Readiness & Timeline. 

Five points will be allotted to Municipal, Community, & Partner Support; Professional Support & Documentation; Alignment with Public Sector Strategic or Comprehensive Plans; Municipal, Community, & Partner Support. A two-point bonus will go to Pre-Application Workshop Participation. 

The application process and accompanying documents is now fully digitized, aimed at ensuring a more efficient process for applicants, awardees, and staff. The process is also expected to improve transparency by allowing the public to review online every application, along with an aggregation of the Gaming Advisory Board’s scoring results, and newly required progress and close-out reports for each grant recipient. 

Applications for the next round of gaming grants become available online on Aug. 1 and are due by Nov. 2.