Clay County Board Of County Commissioners

Clay County Board Of County Commissioners, a U.S. local government entity headquartered in Green Cove Springs, Florida, receives federal funding as a grant recipient to support fire and emergency response staffing, community development, public safety, and disaster recovery. The entity operates as a prime recipient on federal grants (33% of recent awards) and as a sub-recipient on state-administered federal pass-through grants (67% of awards), with no federal contract prime awardees and no participation in federal contract vehicles.

Clay County's federal grant footprint centers on emergency management and fire response. The Federal Emergency Management Agency Headquarters Financial Assistance Awards program dominates the customer base, with 33 awards spanning three principal grant programs. The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER, CFDA 97.083) program represents the largest concentration: Clay County has received four SAFER project grants as a prime recipient totaling approximately $19 million across award dates from February 2022 through March 2026, with performance periods extending through March 2029. These grants fund fire department staffing enhancements, recruitment, retention, and deployment capabilities to meet industry minimum standards and 24-hour coverage requirements. A separate four-million-dollar AFG program (Assistance to Firefighters Grants, CFDA 97.044) award from September 2022 supported fire and emergency response equipment, protective gear, and training through September 2024. Community development work centers on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Entitlement program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), with five prime-recipient formula grants awarded between October 2021 and October 2024, funding housing, economic opportunity, and community infrastructure projects running through 2033. The Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration awarded one project grant in December 2024 for a countywide safety action plan under the Safe Streets and Roads for All program, completing August 2026. A smaller grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment in September 2022 for an overdose prevention and education program added $337 thousand to support naloxone distribution and opioid use disorder intervention.

As a sub-recipient, Clay County receives pass-through federal funding administered by the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Transportation, covering disaster recovery, debris removal, emergency protective measures, and infrastructure construction. These sub-awards include emergency management performance grants, homeowner buyout programs under CDBG disaster-recovery funding, and road and sidewalk construction projects. The Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Programs passed four sub-awards through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for JAG (Byrne Justice Assistance Grant) funds supporting officer overtime, equipment, and training.

Combined obligated federal dollars across the 64-award footprint total $53.7 million. Activity has grown year over year, from four awards in 2022 to a peak of 17 in 2025, with six awards recorded in 2026 through May. The split between prime and sub-award volume (33% and 67% respectively) reflects Clay County's role as both a direct federal grantee for fire and community development work and a local government sub-recipient of state-administered disaster recovery and law enforcement programs.