Department: County Administration
Department Head/Elected Official: David Berry, County Administrator
Regular or Supplemental RCA:
☒ Regular RCA
☐ Supplemental RCA
Type of Request: Contract - Award
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): BakerRipley
MWDBE Participation (if applicable): N/A
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by the Office of County Administration for approval of a contract with BakerRipley in the amount of $500,000, funded via American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, to provide outreach and tax preparation assistance to low-income families to expand access to the Child Tax Credit.
end
Background and Discussion:
ARPA temporarily increased the Child Tax Credit (CTC), providing a credit of up to $3,600 per child under age six and $3,000 per child age six to 17. The CTC is refundable for all families including those whose income is below the threshold required to file tax returns. In Harris County, 21.7% of children live in poverty, and 9.4% live in “deep poverty” with a family income below half of the poverty line. According to the IRS, the CTC has not been claimed for at least 30,000 children in Harris County, representing over $90 million in missed payments.
This contract will allow BakerRipley, Harris County’s largest Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) provider, to ensure that low-income families at risk of missing out enroll in and receive the 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) which could lead to a significant decline in child poverty. This funding will enable BakerRipley to expand their capacity at 13 centers and off-site locations in high-need communities to provide free tax assistance and consultations about the CTC, as well as Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) for parents without Social Security Numbers. BakerRipley staff and volunteers will answer questions about the CTC by phone and in-person, conduct traditional and in-person outreach, help families access advance payments in 2021, and help file taxes in 2022. In-person outreach and assistance will also be provided in clinics, churches, libraries, and any other points of intervention to ensure that the highest need individuals are receiving these services.
Expected Impact: The program targets provision of ITINs to at least 1,500 families and incremental access to the Child Tax Credit for 2,000-5,000 children, bringing and additional $6-15 million to Harris County families.
Alternative Options: N/A
Alignment with Goal(s):
☐ Justice and Safety
☒ Economic Opportunity
☐ Housing
☐ Public Health
☐ Transportation
☐ Flooding
☐ Environment
☐ Governance and Customer Service
Prior Court Action (if any): N/A
Location:
Address (if applicable list below):
☒ Countywide
☐ Precinct 1
☐ Precinct 2
☐ Precinct 3
☐ Precinct 4
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Service Name |
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FY 21-22 |
Estimates |
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FY 22 |
Next 3 FYs |
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Incremental Expenditures |
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Labor Expenditures |
- |
- |
- |
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Non-Labor Expenditures |
500,000 |
- |
- |
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Total Incremental Expenditures |
500,000 |
- |
- |
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Funding Sources (General Fund, PIC Fund, Debt or CP, Grants, or Other - Please Specify) |
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Existing Budget |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
- |
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Total Current Budget |
- |
- |
- |
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Additional Budget Requested |
ARPA LFRF |
500,000 |
- |
- |
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- |
- |
- |
- |
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|
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Total Additional Budget Requested |
500,000 |
- |
- |
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Total Funding Sources |
500,000 |
- |
- |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
- |
- |
- |
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Additional Positions Requested |
- |
- |
- |
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Total Personnel |
- |
- |
- |
Anticipated Implementation Date: October 15, 2021
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note:
☐ Not an emergency, disaster recovery, or COVID-19 related item
☐ Emergency Item
☒ COVID-19 related Item
☐ Disaster Recovery related Item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Leah Barton, Managing Director Strategic Initiatives, Office of County Administration
Attachments (if applicable): BakerRipley Child Tax Credit Expansion Contract